The Writer and the Trickster
by RiddleGirl7
Summary: When Owen saves the life of a young writer, a series of events unfold that will take Owen on a World Wide adventure to protect the girl from evil and discover who she really is. Owen/Puck X OC. Rated T for language. EXPECT DELAYS WITH NEW CHAPTERS
1. The Beginning

The Beginning

As night began to fall over the city of New York, dark and disturbing clouds had started to roll in from the west, baring a sudden feeling of the bitterness and cold that would soon come to the city. People rushed home to their families and warm homes to avoid getting caught in the approaching storm. Shops began to close while others opened up, ignoring the fact that the storm would make business slow that night. As the clouds moved closer, fewer people were seen on the streets, except for a few who were heading somewhere and a handful of others unfortunate enough not to have a place to go. As the wind picked up and raindrops began to fall, a woman emerged from the subway.

This particular lady could somewhat easily stand out in a crowd. With naturally wavy red hair and striking green eyes, as well as pale skin and red lips, she was quite beautiful. Even her faded pair of jeans and black rain jacket gave her a look of mysteriousness and elegance. The wind picked again, blowing her hair in front of her face. She brushed it aside, continuing through the approaching storm. Along the way, she kept saying in her head,

_I do hope Trev has dinner ready. I mean, it's his turn to make it, since I've been doing it all bloody week. _

The rain began to pour and the wind picked up speed. Luckily for her, she had arrived at her boyfriend's apartment complex, just as the storm became too unbearable.

Shaking her coat off at the door, she made her way up the stairs to the apartment. She walked down the hall to see a note was posted on his door.

_Mr. Trevor Cameron and Miss Nicole Kent,_

_As of today, your apartment is now under foreclosure._

_You have exactly 48 hours to clear out your living space before immediate action will be issued._

_Sincerely, _

_Management._

Nicole stared at the door with disbelieve.

_This has to be a mistake...I mean, Trevor paid the rent this month...didn't he?_

Nicole jammed the key in the slot and pushed the door open. Inside, a young man was sitting on the couch, having fallen asleep. His extremely long black hair was swaying as he snored. He wore only a white muscle shirt and a pair of black boxers. He yellow teeth grinned together while his bony fingers lay folded on his stomach.

"Trevor!" Nicole yelled loudly, waking up Trevor with a jolt.

"Wha...?" he groaned.

"Did you see the sign on your door? The apartment is being foreclosed! I thought you paid the rent!"

"Yea...I did...at least I'm sure I did..."

"You're smoking weed again, aren't you?"

"Nah man..."

"Don't lie to me! You were supposed to pay your share of the rent and you go blow it on weed? I mean, you haven't even had a job in two months! I would think you would save the last bit of your money for this," she exclaimed as her angry grew.

"Well I don't see you doing anything...about a job you know..." Trevor mumbled as he got up from his spot on the couch.

"Excuse me? I just spent all day at three job interviews and have been searching for an opening while you sit on your lazy ass all day. I'm the one who's paying for everything!"

Nicole stormed into their bedroom, where Trevor followed her.

"Come on babe, can we talk about this?"

"Well that depends, I-" Nicole stopped herself.

Beside the bed, there was a bra that wasn't hers. It was a pink bra that was at least a C cup.

"Who's is this?" she asked quietly as she pointed to it. When Trevor didn't reply, she repeated it louder.

"Who's is this? Answer me!"

"I...uh..."

"You've been cheating on me?" she whispered, trying her hardest to hold back her tears.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't so 'tired' all the time," Trevor boldly said.

"I'm tired all day because I have to go find a job to support us and then do all the chores here, which you never help with."

"Yea, but then you come home and write some stupid fantasy story that still hasn't been published yet!"

He reached over to the desk across from the door where he picked up a booklet with loose leaf paper.

"It's not a stupid story. For all we know, this book could get me rich and famous."

"Yes, because in modern New York, a story about fairy tales is gonna get you famous. Face the facts, you're nothing but a dreamer who will never accomplish her goal, and if she does a couple of kids and fantasy dorks are going to be deciding your fate. You should be lucky that I even dated a failure like you!"

Nicole caught her breath once his hurtful words crept in.

"Fine, you know what, fine." She said angrily as she strolled across the room, sliding past Trevor and towards the door.

"Wait, stop," Trevor grabbed her wrist to stop her. With her free hand, Nicole slapped Trevor across the face.

"Don't you dare fucking touch me! We are through Trevor! I can't put up with this anymore! I'll send for my stuff tomorrow."

And with that, Nicole opened the front door, slammed it, walked down the stairs and left the apartment complex. She was met by the bitter, freezing rain, which she didn't worry about. Nicole walked down the streets, not caring where she was going. After a while, she had grown concerned about where she was.

_All these streets look the same. I must be in downtown Manhattan by now._

As she was walking, she began to notice that there was a man that had been following her for a while. She couldn't make out his features, but she knew that he was wearing a baseball cap and all black clothes. She turned the corner and speed up her pace. Just as she was coming to an alley way, two more men in black left a convince store and stopped right in front of her. She turned around to see that the man had caught up with her and was right behind her. She turned down the alley way, only to find it was a dead end. The three men had moved into the alley and were closing in. Nicole knew that she had no choice.

She screamed.

Owen Burnett and Alexander Xanatos left the movie theatre along with the crowd, only to be met with the pouring rain. Owen had volunteered to take Alex out so that David and Fox could have a night to themselves. As they made their way to the car, Alexander kept bouncing around Owen, recalling some of the scenes from the movie.

"And did you see the way the hero was like; you're going down bad guy and the bad guys like, no way, then he sets off the bomb! That was so cool!"

The sides of Owen's mouth twitched slightly as the boy continued his retelling. He enjoyed Alexander's curious mind, and the fact he was so entranced by everything he saw.

"But I didn't like the ending."

"And why is that?" Owen asked curiously in his monotone voice.

"Because the girl ends up going for the sidekick in the end. Shouldn't the girl be with the superhero?'

Before Owen could answer him, a scream was heard from an alley way across the street from them.

"Somebody's in trouble! We should help them!"

"I don't think that would be wise. We should not get involved," Owen told Alexander as he turned to the car door to open it. When he turned around again, Alexander was running across the street towards the alleyway.

"Alexander!"

Owen ran across the street towards the boy, but was stopped when a car nearly hit him. He stared at the driver for a split second before he continued after Alex, who had stopped in front of the alleyway.

"Stop fiends! You will not harm that lady!"

Three large men in black had corned a lady into the alley, who could not be seen through the shadows.

"Lookie here boys, this pipsqueak is telling us to stop. And are you gonna stop us tiny man?" One of them asked as they moved closer to Alexander.

"No, but I will," Owen said as he stood beside Alexander, with his stone fist raised and his good hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Well then give it your best shot," the man sneered as he charged at them. Owen waited for a moment before he reached up and slammed his fist right in the middle of the man's face, instantly causing him to fall to the ground. The other two men abandoned the women and came after him.

Owen pushed Alexander beside two trash cans while he prepared for the attack. Alexander moved from his spot and quickly crept over to the lady. She was huddled on the ground, watching the spectacle in front of her. She saw the little boy who had distracted the men come running to her. He looked as though he was no more than six. Concerned for his wellbeing, she reached out her arms and pulled him close to her, turning her back in the process so she could protect him.

Owen punched another man in the jaw, sending him back into the wall. The third man grabbed a steel pipe and came running at Owen before he grabbed the pipe with his good hand and punched the guy in the head. He fell down, unconisous from the punch. The second man came towards him again, only to be punched in the jaw and sent flying into the trash cans. Owen looked over to see that the women and Alexander were huddled together, their backs turned, as the first man crawled over to them.

Acting fast, Owen raised his hand up and a flash of lightning shot out towards the man, stunning him in the process. While the man lay motionless, Owen looked at the scene before he walked over to the women. She was holding Alexander in a protective manner, only looking up and releasing Alexander when Owen came up to them.

"Uncle Owen!" Alexander exclaimed as he hugged Owen's pant leg. Owen placed his good hand on top of Alexander's head. He glanced up to actually see the women for the first time.

She was remarkably beautiful, with red hair, pale skin and green eyes; she looked as though she wasn't even human. She looked at them with a sleepy expression before she fell unconisous, with voices fading in and out before they became no more.

**The first chapter of my first Gargoyle story! I'm very excited to write this, since I have had this stored in my brain for the longest time. I have a few chapters already written, but I need to look over them, but I'll be sure to upload them right away. Enjoy! And please R&R!**


	2. Going Home

Going Home

Nicole heard and saw nothing for a long time. She did hear noises fade in and out, but she couldn't recognize what they were. As she regained consciousness, she heard the voices clearly, some kind whilst others slightly harsh. She did hear the same tone of voice every so often. An emotionless and rather monotone voice. When she heard the voice, she opened her eyes.

She was lying in a bed inside a grand room. The room was a midnight blue with black furniture. The canopy bed had black sheets and curtains which matched the sofa and chair that was opposite the bed. She scanned the length of the room before she noticed that there were several people standing not too far from the bed.

One was a tall man with brown hair, worn in a ponytail, and a beard. He wore a black suit, which looked very expensive and classy. Beside him, there was a woman, who looked very strange. She had red hair that was a lighter shade then Nicole's and was very attractive, but what caught Nicole's eye was the marking on her face. Over her right eye was the image of a blue wolf or fox of some sort. The next man, Nicole, recognized, was a doctor, obviously seen in a white coat. Her gaze rested upon the last man, who she remembered as the one who had saved her. He had short blonde hair, glasses and was wearing a blue business suit. His expression looked emotionless, yet intrigued as he listened to the doctor. She glanced down at his left arm, which looked unreal. His skin was gray while his hand was made into a fist. She simply regarded it as a prosthetic arm.

She watched silently as the doctor spoke,

"There seems to be no physical injury on her, it seems she collapsed due to shock of some sort, but otherwise, she should be fine."

"Thank you again, doctor, your help is much appreciated," the tall man told the doctor as he led him to the door. "Fox, would you be as kind as to lead the man to the elevator?"

The woman nodded before she strolled to the door and left with the doctor. The tall man turned around and asked,

"Owen, what did happen?"

"I told you sir, Alexander went to help the young women and when they went after him, I stepped in."

"Well, that was a good thing you did, thank you."

"My pleasure sir, it is, after all, my duty to protect the boy," the man called Owen replied.

Nicole decided that this was a good time to 'wake up'. She lifted herself off the pillow and looked at the two men, who immediately noticed her.

"Ah, it seems our guest had woken up to greet us."

"Is the little boy alright?" Nicole asked as she remembered the boy.

Both men looked at her with a look of surprise before Owen replied,

"Mister Alexander is quite fine, though he is facing a rather...long punishment."

"Well that's...good. Now, where am I and if I might ask, who are you?"

The tall man chuckled before he told her,

"My name is Mr. David Xanatos and you've already met Mr. Owen Burnett. You are in the Aerie building, otherwise known as my home."

"What happened to me?"

"You were attacked by several men and was saved by Mr. Burnett and my son, Alexander Xanatos. Not to worry, all three men have been arrested and are facing trial."

Nicole looked over at Owen with a smile of gratitude.

"Thank you, Mr. Burnett."

"My...pleasure, Miss...?"

"Oh, I'm sorry; my name is Nicole, Nicole Kent."

"Pleasure to meet you," Mr. Xanatos greeted her. Just then, the women reappeared and went to stand beside Mr. Xanatos.

"Nicole, this is my wife, Fox, Fox, this is Nicole Kent."

"Pleased to meet you," Fox said.

"Likewise."

"Now, Miss Kent, we do have a matter we need to discuss. You are welcomed to stay here for the rest of the day, but do you have any family or friends we can contact in order to help you home?"

Nicole looked at him with a look of sadness before she told him,

"I moved here three months ago with my boyfriend and he's being evicted from his home. I left him because he was so irresponsible. And since I've been looking for a job, I've had no time for any social activities. Both my parents died when I was young and my younger sister is still touring Tibet till next month. She can't come back until then."

Mr. Xanatos looked over at his wife, who in turned looked at Owen. Mr. Xanatos and Fox looked at one another before Mr. Xanatos spoke,

"If it is alright with you, we would be honoured to let you stay with us, for the remainder of the month."

Nicole looked at them in disbelieve.

"I couldn't do that to you, you have already done enough for me."

"Nonsense, after what Owen has told us about what you did for our son, we would like to repay the favour."

Nicole thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to seem like a nuisance to Mr. Xanatos and his family, but then again, she had no place to stay, and it was only until next month.

"Are you sure I would not be intruding into your home?"

"I'm quite sure."

"Then yes, I will accept your offer."

"Splendid! Fox, would you help Nicole with everything? Owen and I have some business to attend to."

Fox nodded before she leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek. Mr. Xanatos and Owen left the room, leaving Fox and Nicole alone.

Once outside the door and out of earshot, David pulled Owen aside.

"Alright Owen, I don't think you're telling me the whole truth."

"Whatever do you mean sir?"

"Why, instead of taking her to the hospital, would you take her here?"

"I was acting on impulse sir, and was not thinking clearly."

"Apparently."

"If I would be so bold, why did you invite her to say with us until next month?" Owen asked.

"Well, I couldn't send a woman out into the cold, could I? Besides, Alexander seems to have taken a liking to her, since he wouldn't stop taking about her. I also think great things could become of her,' he added with a wink.

Owen ignored the gesture and they continued on to the office, but not before Owen glanced over his shoulder, looking back towards the room.

**Second Chapter! I am aware that it is a short chapter, but I'm uploading the next one sometime today. Just to warn you all now, some chapters might seem shorter, but that's only because when I'm typing, my laptop makes it seem like I'm writing more. Sorry for the inconvince. Please review and enjoy!**


	3. Friendly Surprises

Friendly Surprises

Owen awoke the next morning to begin his day. He got out of bed and made his way towards the window, where he opened the curtain, allowing the sunlight to flow inside the room. After getting dressed, he made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast, only to meet Nicole, who had already started it.

She was flipping pancakes when he walked in. The kitchen wasn't too messy, but it wasn't necessarily in the same condition that Owen had left it the night before.

"Miss Kent, may I ask what you are doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm earning my keep here."

"I see, but did you have to make such a mess?"

"Mess? Oh, I'm sorry, I was so busy that I must not have realised-"

"It is quite alright, Miss Kent."

"Will you please call me Nicole? You sound like my grade five gym teacher when you call me that."

Owen looked at her strangely as she moved to the stove to flip the bacon over.

"Would you like any help...Nicole?"

"Sure, could you just watch the pancakes for me? They should be ready here in a minute."

Own did as he was told, walking over to the stove, where he watched them. When they were ready, Owen meant to flip them over, but the spatula got caught, which sent a pancake up into the air. Luckily, Nicole was ready with a plate and caught the stray pancake when it fell back down again.

"Next time, you could just hand them to me."

There was the slightest twitch on the corner of Owens mouth, but Nicole didn't see it.

"You sure make quite a team," a voice commented from the doorway. Mr. Xanatos was leaning against the doorframe, already in a business suit.

Nicole glanced over at Owen before replying,

"Thanks' Mr. Xanatos."

Mr. Xanatos chuckled before he left, making his way to the dining room. Nicole put the food on a serving plate and left to go to the dining room, with Owen right behind her.

"Breakfast is served," Nicole announced as they walked in.

Owen sorted the food onto plates for everyone while Nicole handed them out.

"My, this food looks delicious," Fox commented, "Did you make this Nicole?"

"Yes I did."

"Who taught you to cook?" Mr. Xanatos asked as she sat down.

"My mom. I mean, she taught me the basics, and I just worked from there."

"You ever think of doing it professionally?"

"Me? No, I'm not that good. I'm just glad none of the food burned."

"I see," he finished as he began to eat his breakfast. There were a few minutes of silence before Alexander spoke.

"You are very pretty Miss."

"Why thank you. You are a very handsome man as well."

Alexander beamed, turning his attention to the last piece of bacon he had to eat. Shoving it into his mouth, he proclaimed that he was done.

"Hurry now; your tutor should be here any minute, "Fox told him, placing her now empty plate aside. Alexander crawled of his seat and together, Fox and him left the dining hall.

"So Nicole, do you have any plans for today?" Xanatos asked.

"Well sir, I should get my things from my boyfriend's apartment, as it's being foreclosed today."

"And how long will this take you?"

"I have no idea, hopefully not long."

"I believe you should have an escort, you know, someone to help you. Owen here would be a fine choice," Xanatos offered, motioning to Owen.

Owen raised an eyebrow, staring at Xanatos. Even though his face was emotionless, his eyes seemed to have a sense of annoyance and surprise.

"Sir, unfortunately, I have work to com-"

"Nonsense, you are always ahead in your work. It will only be for a little while, just to take care of our guest."

Owen was silent before he replied, "As you wish."

"Splendid. Now, if you would excuse me." And with that, Mr. Xanatos left the hall, heading straight to his office.

Nicole shifted uncomfortably in her seat before speaking.

"I'll take care of the plates, and then we'll be off?"

Instead of replying, Owen swiftly gathered all plates and utensils and made his way to the kitchen. Nicole got up, following behind him. She reached the kitchen to find that the dishes were clean and drying on the rack. Owen rolled down his sleeves, walking past an astonished Nicole in the doorway.

"Shall we?" Owen asked dryly.

Nicole nodded briefly, again following him to the elevators. As soon as she pressed the button, the doors slid open and both of the stepped inside. The elevator began its long descent downwards, making the silence even more known. Nicole yet again shifted uncomfortably, but this time, she noticed a slight movement from Owen. Having leaned against her right leg, she could see that Owen had made an ever so slight shift to his left. A small smirk fell upon Nicole's lips, where she thought to herself,

_I have a feeling things are about to get interesting._

_

* * *

_

The sunlight, reflecting from the passing buildings, shone into the car as it sped through the busy streets. Nicole was staring out the window in the back seat while Owen drove. Every so often, Owen glanced in the rear view mirror to see a distracted Nicole. He took note at the way the sun shone against her, making her red hair shine and her pale skin glimmer. She was wearing a grey turtleneck and a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her legs nicely. Owen's focus snapped back to the road as he turned down the street.

"Do you even know where I live?" Nicole asked politely.

Owen turned down another street and pulled to a stop in front of the apartment complex.

"Well that answers me question."

Owen shut off the vehicle and stepped out, making his way to open the door for Nicole. Placing his good hand on the handle, he opened the door to reveal a confused Nicole.

"I could get out myself you know."

"Yes, but what kind of an escort would I be then," Owen answered. Nicole felt that even in his dry statement, he had somewhat spoken with a sense of duty and enjoyment. She was still for a moment before he offered his good hand to her and she grasped it.

Out of the car, Owen locked it and they made their way to the door of the complex. Walking into the foyer, Nicole already noticed that Trevor and her names were taken off the directory. She continued on with a frown. Owen took note of this, a look of concern on his face. She led him to the stair case, where they climbed it in silence.

Having climbed the stairs, they walked the length of the hallway to see that several men were coming in and out of her apartment. Nicole recognized them as the managers sons, who were called on whenever there was anything to be moved or repaired.

"Is Trevor Cameron inside?" she asked one of the men nearby.

He motioned to inside the apartment before he lifted up a box, stacking it among the others in the hall. Nicole pushed her way through the door to find that Trevor was having a conversation with one of the other movers. Seeing her there, he broke off the conversation and rushed to her.

"Thank god you're ok. I was worried about you!"

"Were you? Because it seemed last night you didn't give a crap."

"...What?"

"Oh yes, that's right, you were probably too stoned to remember our fight last night," her tone hinted to annoyance and disgust.

"Awe, baby-"

"Don't baby me. I'm just here to get my things then I'll be out of here."

Trevor's expression changed, his smile turned to a scowl. All he could say was,

"It's in the bedroom."

Nicole moved past him and into their once shared room. Almost nothing was left, except for the bed frame, the dresser and a few boxes in the corner of the room. Nicole walked to them, opening one to see that it was indeed hers, as it had a few of her clothes inside. She picked through the boxes, making sure she had everything. By the time she finished, there was only one thing she could not find.

"Trevor! Where is it?"

He stepped into the room, his shoulders hunched over.

"What?" he asked, heaving a sigh.

"My story, it's not here."

"Oh yea..."

He moved across the hall to the bathroom, where he reached into the trash can to pull out the booklet. It was creased and torn along the cover.

"What have you done?" Nicole yelled as she picked herself of the floor and strolled briskly to him, snatching it out of his hands.

"I don't even get why you give a shit about that stupid story of yours!" Trevor raised his voice

Owen, who had respectably stayed out of the apartment, took notice to the commotion inside.

"Do you know how much time and effort I've put into this?"

"Yea, I know. You seem to give that useless story more attention than me!"

"You are such a baby, you know that? You are always craving attention and you are so irresponsible. Trust me, leaving you is going to be the best damn decision I've made in a while," Nicole finished, turning around to go back into the bedroom. From the hall, Owen could see Trevor stare at Nicole in rage, before he grabbed crowbar that was leaning beside the doorway. Raising it above his head, he took a step towards Nicole.

Owen took immediate action, racing into the apartment and putting himself between Trevor and Nicole. As Trevor swung the crowbar at Nicole, Owen reached up and grabbed it, stopping Trevor in his tracks. Nicole, feeling the tension, glanced behind her, before rotating her body.

"Who the hell are you?" Trevor asked in a surprised and shocked tone.

Owen, rotating his forearm, managed to loosen Trevor's grip on the crowbar. Owen took it, flinging it onto the plastic covered couch. Owen leaned closer to Trevor before whispering,

"I am the one who hopes to never see you anywhere close to this woman again."

Turning back to Nicole, he gave her a nod, before walking into the bedroom. He reached down, picking up two stacked boxes. Nicole followed him and picked up two boxes as well. By then, all of the movers had come inside the apartment to see what the commotion was. Owen told them to gather the remaining boxes and follow him. They grabbed the boxes, before they walked out of the apartment. Owen placed himself beside Nicole, protecting her from Trevor. He stared at them with a firm mixture of confusion, anger and helplessness until they left the apartment.

Nicole watched Owen as he walked. He kept staring ahead, his pace was quick, yet he stepped with caution. It wasn't until they had reached the car and the movers had placed the boxes in the car and left, did he speak.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes...just a little shaken up, that's all."

"He didn't hurt you?"

"No, I am alright. Can we just... get out of here?"

Owen nodded as he opened Nicole's door. This time, she didn't complain as she entered the car. Owen closed the door and slid into the driver's seat. When the car was started and it was pulled away from the curb, Owen looked back to see Nicole was looking through a booklet. She quickly leafed through it before giving a sigh of relieve. She placed it beside her on the seat before she looked out the window, just as she did before. But only this time, she turned to Owen.

"Thank you... for everything."

Owen glanced in the rear view mirror at Nicole. The sunlight gave her a sort of angelic glow, one that Owen took notice to. He continued to admire her before he snapped out of his trance and replied,

"My Pleasure."

* * *

Nighttimes had fallen over the city, revealing a cloudless night. Somewhere in the city, in a cell at a police station, three men waited for their fate. One of them paced back and forth, the other slept while the last one stared out a single barred window. All three of them wore state issued orange jumpers.

"How in the hell did we end up here?" The man stopped pacing and asked aloud. He spoke in a heavy Irish accent while shuffling a hand through his ruff red hair. His freckled face was covered in sweat and dirt.

"We were arrested, remember?" The man at the window, a French man, sarcastically replied. His blonde moustache and goatee were still well kept, but his hair was greasy from not being able to shower.

"Shut up. I mean, one minute, we're all working at the shipping yard and then we end up here. How did we go from that to here?"

"We decided to accept an offer from some mysterious person in a car."

"And why did we do that exactly?"

"Because they offered to pay us fifty thousand each if we brought some girl to them," The final man answered, as he awoke from his slumber. He brushed aside black strains of hair off his face, gathering them to put in his long ponytail. His breath smelled of alcohol and his hair of sweat.

"And where has that landed us? We are in jail, awaiting trial and are penniless. We're probably gonna lose our jobs and homes as well," The French man sighed.

"Have faith, Pierre, there is always time for things to improve," the third man assured his comrades.

"Improve? Jose, if anything's gonna change around here, it's gonna be going downhill," The Irish man reasoned.

"Patrick has a point, mon ami, it can't get much better," Pierre agreed.

"Ah, but I have a feeling, that things are about to get better," Jose spoke calmly.

Just as he finished, an officer came to their cell.

"There's a women here to see..."

The guards pupils contracted and a gasp escaped his lips. Seconds later, he collapsed.

"The hell...?" Patrick muttered as the men ran up to the door. Suddenly, a woman appeared behind the guard's body.

This woman was fairly beautiful and enchanting, with long platinum blonde hair, pale skin and a fair figure. Her light blue eyes seemed to sparkle like that of morning dew. She wore a white jacket, dress pants and matching blue heels.

"Who...what?" was all the Pierre could say.

"You boys want out of there?"The mysterious women asked, her voice sounded sweet, yet sultry.

The men remained motionless.

"Or would you rather stay in there?" she reasoned.

After a second, all the men shook their heads. The women smirked before she raised her arm, her hand level with the lock. She rotated her wrist slowly upwards as a loud turning of gears was heard. She curled her fingers into her palm just as a final gear clicked. Jose walked to the door, giving it a gentile push. It swung open slowly.

"How...how did you do that?" He asked.

"That...is none of your concern. Now follow me, I have a car waiting outside for us."

"Tell me, how you expect us to get out of here with a building full of officers?" Jose asked with suspicion in his tone.

"Just say close and don't say a word." She ordered, making all three men silent. She began to walk forwards, which the men followed her. When she came up around a corner, she stopped.

"Don't follow me until I look back, clear?"

The men nodded and she continued. As she walked past an officer, she gave a wave, by curling in her fingers. She looked back at the officer and gave a wink. It was a signal.

The men cautiously ran to catch up with her. As they passed the officer, he never seemed to notice them. They continued following after her until they were outside. She turned to face them.

"Now, quickly, get into the car," she ordered as she pointed to a black car parked beside the sidewalk. She opened the door as the men filled in, before she climbed in as well. She knocked on the window separating the driver and themselves. The car started up and sped away.

"Who are you?" Jose asked when the car was far from the station.

"All in good time. For now, you all should worry about one thing."

"And what is that, mademoiselle?" Pierre asked.

"Finishing your assignment, since it is...unfinished," She replied as a smile formed on her lips.

**Third Chapter! Woo! Please review!**


	4. Surprising Night

A Surprising Night

Far from where the criminals were, Nicole was resting on the bed in the guest room. After they collected her things, Owen and she had returned to the skyscraper. Owen had brought her things in and left her to unpack, claiming that he had work to do. She didn't mind, since it gave her time to relax and unpack.

It took her a while to unpack and organize everything, leading well into the evening. Nicole, when she finished, put on her pajamas, a white tank top and a long pair of gray pajama pants. She curled up on top of the sheets and grabbed her notebook. She stared at the blank pages, puzzled as to where her story would take her. Just as she was about to press her pencil to the page, she heard her door open. She glanced over to see that Alexander, clean and dressed in his pajamas, was in the doorway. When he saw her, he closed the door a bit, an innocent gesture that made Nicole laugh.

"No need to be scared, you're not in trouble and I won't bite."

Alexander pushed the door open, stepping lightly until he was at the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm working on a story."

"A story! I wanna see!"

Nicole chuckled before she patted the spot beside her. Alex climbed up and looked at the booklet.

"It's not finished yet, but I could use your help."

"What can I do?"

"Well, right now, I need a name...a boy's name."

Unknown to Nicole, Owen had come looking for Alexander, as he ran just as he was going to bed. He came across Nicole's room, to hear Alexander. He was about to open the door when he had heard Nicole's request. He could see from where he was that Alexander was thinking, before a smile formed.

"Puck!"

"Puck? You mean the fairy from _A Midsummer Night's Dream_?"

"Yea!"

"Hmm...Puck...that actually might fit."

She scribbled something on a few sheets of paper. Owen watched her, as her hair draped in front of her face, slightly covering a clear look of concentration. He focused his gaze to Alexander, who was smirking. Alexander had known that Owen was Puck since Alexander could recognize it. It would be rational that Alexander would only know that name, as David Xanatos and Fox never read him fairy tales.

"There, now it's somewhat complete. Would you like to hear it?"

Alexander nodded as he curled up against Nicole. Wrapping an arm around him and smiling, she flipped to the first page of the booklet and began to read.

_Once, there was a faraway kingdom, filled with flowing streams and magical beings. The kingdom was ruled by a kind king, who loved his kingdom. Even though he was so kind, he was very sad, for he longed for a daughter of his own, one that he could treasure and love. Word traveled of the king's wish, and it reached the ears of the fairy queen, who had always admired the king's kindness. _

_One night, as the king slept, the queen visited him in a dream. She told him, that she would grant the king his wish, under one condition, that his daughter would have to return to the land of fairies before her eighteenth birthday, or she would fade away. The king, longing for the daughter, accepted. The queen left him, and in the morning, a cradle was found beside the king's bed, with a newborn baby girl inside. _

As Nicole read, Owen hung back from the door, curious and intrigued by the tale. He listened from across the hall, leaning against the wall as he did.

_The girl grew to be a beautiful, enchanting and kind girl, who was loved by all. In fact, many young men wanted to marry the princess, but the king wouldn't allow it, since she would not be with him for very long._

_As the princess's eighteenth birthday grew closer and closer, the queen was considering which fairy would be worthy enough to bring the princess back to the land of the fairies. After many competitions and challenges to see who would be worthy, there was no fairy willing or able enough. As the queen sat on her throne, a young trickster, named Puck..."_

Nicole glanced at Alexander upon the mention of the name, to find him asleep. Owen, having snapped out of his trance when Nicole stopped, assumed his responsibility. He straightened up and pushed the door open.

"Good evening, Nicole."

"Oh, good evening Owen. I assume you want Alexander," she said as she motioned to the sleeping child beside her.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I think my reading tired him out though." She moved aside as Owen reached down and picked up the boy.

"It seems so," Owen said bluntly, groaning as he lifted the boy up in his arms.

"Do you need help?" Nicole asked with concern.

"Oh no, I'll be alright. Alexander just isn't as light as he once was."

"Well at least let me help you see him to his room...just in case."

Owen, who normally would not allow it, glanced at Nicole and replied,

"As you wish."

Owen carried Alexander while Nicole walked beside him. The walked in silence before they reached Alexander's room. Nicole opened the door for Owen, smirking as she did so. Owen gave her a frown as he walked inside. He made his way across the room and placed Alexander in his bed. Nicole came up to the bed and tucked Alexander in.

"Goodnight Alexander," she whispered before they left. Nicole closed the door quietly before they walked to her room. As they reached the door, Nicole said quietly,

"Thank you again...for everything today."

"Again, my...pleasure." Owen paused momentarily. The light from Nicole's bedside lamp had created an angelic glow behind her, making her more stunning than ever. Nicole, noticing that Owen was staring at her, felt uncomfortable and stared to play with the edge of the carpet with her toes. Owen, seeing her discomfort, snapped out of his trance and stepped back.

"Um...thank you for helping with Alexander," he uttered as he offered his hand for her to shake. Nicole, unsure of what to do at first, was about to shake his hand, but her foot got caught in the carpet. She tripped and almost would have fallen if Owen hadn't grabbed her. He grabbed around her torso as her arms rested around his neck. She looked at her trapped foot and tried to unwind it from the carpet.

"I'm so sorry, if I can just...yes! I'm...free..." Nicole's victory was short lived, as she glanced up at Owen's surprised face. His surprise melted to something else however, a slight dazed and pleased emotion. Nicole straightened up, her arms still around Owen's neck and his hands on her hips. They stared at one another, transfixed by each other's gaze. The features on Nicole's face lightened as Owen's eyes gazed at her warmly. Nicole found her head was moving towards his, her posture welcoming. As she did, he seemed to mimic her movement. They grew closer and closer together until Owen stopped.

"If you would excuse me," he said in his usual monotone voice. He left Nicole and walked down the hall, his pace quickening. Nicole waited outside her door, watching him until he turned around a corner. She was crestfallen as she went into her room and quietly closed the door; a million questions running threw her head.

_Have I done something wrong? Did I offend him? Did it feel as though I was pressuring him? Was it because of today? Maybe he just doesn't feel the same way... wait; do I feel the same way? Why am I so disappointed? _

She thought about everything before she collapsed on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, consumed in her thoughts, before she fell asleep.

* * *

Static erupted from a television screen as the previous events were replayed. They were fast forwarding until the moment Owen left. David Xanatos frowned.

"David, are you in here?" Fox asked as she opened the door to Xanatos's office. He was leaning against his desk, a remote in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking in on something."

"Why are you spying on Owen and Nicole... especially Nicole?" Fox asked again in an annoyed tone.

"No worries, my dear, I am spying on Owen."

"Whatever for?" Fox asked curiously as she stood beside her husband.

"His behaviour lately has me worried. He isn't the same as he once was." When his wife still was confused, he elaborated. "He seems more...emotional and more protective of Nicole. He can't be that way, since he is an immortal. He is incapable of feelings."

"Maybe the centuries have changed him. I mean, being around humans and their emotions for as long as he has, you might get soft too," Fox reasoned.

"I suppose..."

"Also, Nicole is a very likeable and charming young women. It's not very hard for Owen to be smitten."

"Ah yes, but that is why Owen is attracted to her. I, on the other hand, am attracted to someone else, who is more befitting for myself," he told her, looking into her eyes.

" I'm glad you feel that way dear. Now, turn off the TV and come to bed," Fox whispered sultrily.

"One more minute, my dear," he said calmly.

"Fine, just don't be too long," Fox winked before she left.

Xanatos rubbed his chin, thinking about what his wife had said. After his exile from Avalon and the centuries of hiding among the mortals, maybe Owen was developing human feelings. It could have also been, as well, that since Nicole, a single and rather attractive women entered his life, Owen had realised his human emotions. Or it might have been simply, that he wished for a companion, which was something that both mortal and immortal could hope for. Xanatos found himself worried about how this might affect Owen, as he has had little experience in this sort of thing. Owen has been his most loyal and trustworthy assistant, and dare say it, friend. If anything were to happen to him, it could ruin everything Xanatos had ever achieved or love. David whispered, before he left his office,

"If she does hurt him, I'll kill her."

* * *

**Beep!**

The sound awoke Nicole, who had been sleeping, not peacefully, but well. The sound was coming from inside her bedside table. She opened the drawer and fumbled inside until she pulled out her cell phone. She glanced at the screen and recognized the number. She answered it.

"Hello? Abby?"

"Hey, sis! Thank god I got a hold of you; I've been calling you for ages!"

"Abby, it's eleven o'clock, couldn't you have called earlier?"

"What part of calling for ages, do you not get?"

'Sorry, a lot has been going on lately."

"Care to explain?"

"It's a long story, but the short version is, I'm no longer dating Trevor-"

"Thank god! He was such a sleaze, I never liked him."

Nicole frowned.

"You were the one who introduced us."

"Yea, but that was before I realised what a sleaze he was. So if you guys aren't together, where are you staying?"

"Well I-"

"Oh, sorry Nic, I gotta go. Our tour guide is sending us to bed, since we're gonna be hiking tomorrow. Be safe and I'll talk to you later!"

The line went dead, much to Nicole's annoyance. As much as Nicole loved her little sister, she could be a little over excited at times. Since there was little chance of her falling back asleep, she decided to head to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. She rose from her bed, walked to the hallway and made her way to the kitchen.

As she grew closer however, she heard the clanging of pots and cutlery. Nicole listened, for whatever was in the kitchen seemed big. She assumed it was Mr. Xanatos before she walked right into the kitchen. She was, on the other hand, very wrong.

Standing in front of the stove, was a large, winged creature. His skin was aquamarine and he had fish like fins on the side of his bald head. Nicole, frightened by the strange creature, screamed. The monster, scared by her scream, calmed himself before he tried to calm her.

"It's alright; I'm not going to hurt you..."

Before she could scream again, Owen appeared in the doorway. Nicole ran behind him in fear.

"What is that?" she asked Owen.

"I think the better question is who," Owen replied plainly, yet logically. He stepped aside, leaving Nicole unprotected. "This is one of the...other residents of the castle, Broadway. I assure you he means you no harm."

Nicole calmed herself a little bit, before she spoke,

"That doesn't explain what he is though...wait, other residents?""

"He is one of the seven gargoyles that inhabit the castle."

"...Gargoyles?"

As if on cue, four other gargoyles ran into the kitchen. A small green one, with webbed wings, a red one with white hair and a beak, an old brown gargoyle and finally a blue gargoyle that resembled a dog.

"What's going on? We heard a scream," the red gargoyle asked before he noticed Nicole.

"It's quite alright Brooklyn, just a misunderstanding," Owen dryly assured the gargoyle. Nicole looked at him as if he was insane. "Nicole, this is Brooklyn, Lexington, Hudson and Bronx. This is Nicole Kent,"he introduced as hemotioned to each one in turn before he introduced her.

"Um...hey?" Nicole waved weakly.

"Pleased to meet you lass," the older gargoyle greeted, his heavy Scottish accent was noticed by Nicole.

"You too..."

Bronx waddled over to Nicole and sniffed her hand before he gave it a friendly lick. At first, Nicole retracted her hand, but after a moment, she pet Bronx on his head. Bronx wagged his short tail, a sign that he was happy and content. Nicole relaxed and began to pet his sides, which Bronx seemed to love.

"Looks like someone likes you Nicole," Lexington commented.

"Yea, I think so," Brooklyn agreed as Bronx lay down on his back. Nicole let a laugh escape as she bent down on her knees and continued to rub his belly. Lexington and Hudson watched the two, both with smiles on their faces. Brooklyn, however, moved closer to Owen before asking,

"Who is this girl? And why would you let her know about us?"

"It is a long story, but she will be staying here for the remainder of the month. Besides, she might as well know who else lives in this castle," Owen replied coolly as he observed Nicole and the others. Nicole was smiling and laughing at Bronx's antics while Hudson, Broadway and Lexington joined her and began to pet Bronx. Brooklyn hung back, with his arms crossed as he chuckled at the spectacle. Owen however, looked solemnly at the scene before he strolled briskly into the hallway. Hudson took notice to Owen's sudden and unannounced departure.

"I wonder what's the matter with the boy," he said aloud. Nicole, still petting Bronx, glanced at the door, before she grew uneasy. She stood up before telling them,

"It is quite late, so I should go to sleep. I have had too much...excitement for one night."

"Of course lass," Hudson understood, "all of us need our rest."

"Mhmm, maybe I can ask you guys some questions in the morning."

All the gargoyles looked to one another before Brooklyn replied, "It doesn't work that way." Nicole looked at them puzzled before Lexington further explained,

"We can't be awake during the day, because we turn to stone once the sun rises." Nicole still did not fully understand.

"Don't worry, lass, we'll explain everything tomorrow night, and hopefully you can meet the rest of the clan," Hudson assured her.

"The rest of the clan?"

"Yea, you'll love them," Broadway told her.

"I can't wait," Nicole lied, as she was still unsure of the prospect of meeting more gargoyles. She yawned, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow night then." She waved good night and made her way to the door.

"Goodnight! Sorry for scaring you," Broadway called out. Nicole turned back, smiling before assuring him it as alright. The others said goodnight and Nicole left for her room. The others turned to one another.

"She seems nice," Broadway commented.

"Aye, she is quite the human. She didn't look too scared by us," Hudson agreed.

"Bronx seems to like her too," Lexington grinned, rubbing Bronx's head.

"And if Xanatos is letting her stay here for the rest of the month, she must not be of any harm to us," Brooklyn noted.

"Aye, but didn't any of yea notice that Owen was acting strange around the lass?" Hudson asked, remembering what had happened minutes ago. The others glanced at the doorway before agreeing with him.

"Isn't Owen always like that though?" Brooklyn reasoned.

"Maybe, but the lad seems...different somehow..."

"Well while you're pondering that, I'm going to make some spaghetti," Broadway told him as he reached for a pot.

"Jeez, I hope Angela isn't jealous of you love of food," Lexington chuckled.

"Hey, my Angela has nothing against food, so knock it off guys," Broadway argued.

Angela, who had been strolling past the kitchen with her nose in a book, stopped reading upon the mention of her name.

"Yes, Broadway, do you need to see me...or are you all talking about me?" she asked, folding her arms when she saw the others.

"Um...ugh..." Broadway stumbled.

"Bet you your new shades that he doesn't come up with a good excuse, winner keeps them," Lexington whispered to Brooklyn, out of earshot.

"You're on," Brooklyn accepted.

"Um...I was wondering if you wanted any spaghetti," he muttered as he lifted up a pot.

"Well that was nice of you to offer; sure, I'll have some."

Brooklyn's mouth hung open while Lexington snickered behind him. Hudson rolled his eyes as he left the kitchen. Brooklyn walked away frowning as Lexington ran up beside him.

"Pay up," Lexington taunted. Lexington

Brooklyn mumbled something as he handed his new sunglasses to Lexington.

"These lenses would work well for one of my experiments."

Brooklyn gave him a sour look as Lexington laughed once more, leaving a very angry Brooklyn to sulk.

**Fourth! Woo! I love Lex at the end (Who wouldn't?). Now, don't be to negitive about Owen's reaction, ladies and gentleman, all will be explained. BUT you have to stay tuned to find out. In the mean time, review?**

**Ok, it's 1 in the morning here, so I think you all know what happens next for me. PEACE!**


	5. Little Heart

Little Heart

"So, do you know why you are here?"

Jose glanced up at the woman who had just broken him and his associates out of jail. They were still in the car, speeding to an unknown place.

"You said we needed to get some girl for you and bring her back to the shipping yard, so you could get her and give us our money," Pierre replied.

"Not just any girl, this one is very special," she told them.

"What makes this girl so special?" Patrick asked.

"None of you need to worry about it. All you need to worry about is getting the girl and not failing this time."

"It was not our fault though, if that brat and the guy with the prosthetic arm hadn't shown up, we would have got her," Patrick told her, as he cracked his knuckles.

"What do you mean a brat and a man?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

The men told her about the events that night.

"Hmm... what you have just told me changes everything," the woman folded her hands across her knees.

"How so?" Jose asked in a tone of mistrust.

"Why must you all ask questions?" She snapped at them. The men, shocked at the sudden aggravation, slouched away from her in fear. She calmed herself by pacing back and forth, telling them slowly, "You must not worry about the slight details. You all will follow orders, or else you will not get paid, and I will hand your incompetent asses to the police. This is your last chance, do you understand?"

Patrick and Pierre nodded immediately, but Jose stared at the women. She stared at him as well before repeating, "Do you understand?" Jose nodded, still staring at her. A smile crept over her lips, but not as Jose asked,

"What do we call you anyway? You never told us a name."

A frown fell upon her face before replying,

"Just call me Meave."

As the sun began to set over the horizon, the last precious rays of sunlight crept into Alexander's room. Alexander concentrated on the beams of light as Puck placed a hand on his shoulders.

"Now, focus, and do what I showed you," he told him, motioning to the light on the floor.

Alexander glanced up at his mentor before his gaze returned to the window. Closing his eyes and raising his hands to the window, he uttered the same incantation Puck had shown him minutes earlier.

From the rays of light shining on the floor, a sphere arose; its orange, yellow and white colours swirled and blended with one another. It seemed to float towards Alexander's open and waiting hands.

"Look uncle!" The boy exclaimed, mesmerized by his creation.

"Good, now you can create whatever image you wish, just as long as you can think it," Puck told him. Alexander considered what he would do, his lips puckered and his nose scrunched in thought. Then he shut his eyes, while Puck watched as the sphere manifested and changed, into a figure.

The figure was a woman, with a flowing dress and crown. As Alexander continued to concentrate, more details were formed, such as long hair, a curvy figure and soft eyes. Alexander opened his eyes to see his handiwork, before looking up at Puck.

"It's the princess from Nicole's story," Alexander explained. He turned his attention to what little sunlight was in the room, conjuring another orb of light. Beside the princess, the orb formed into another figurine. This time Puck noticed something similar.

"It's Puck, from the story!" Alexander told him, proudly raising the miniature Puck to the real one. The smaller one looked exactly the same as the original. Puck was impressed.

"And why did you make them?"

"Because I like her story. She told me some more of it too, and I want to hear more!"

"Do you?"

"Yes. She told me that Puck wasn't an actual fairy, and that he would go and get the princess, but only if the Queen would make him a fairy. She said yes, because no one else would do it. So she sent Puck straight to the palace, where there was a ball for the princess's birthday. But since Puck couldn't be seen by people, he had to use a bit of magic to disguise himself and get inside to see the princess... that's all she read to me before it was time for the lesson."

Puck had tried his best to follow with the story plot, but he didn't find it very interesting.

_Maybe it would be more fascinating if Nicole told it._

Puck shook the thought from his mind, shocked that he would even think it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Xanatos stood in the doorway.

"Puck, if you don't mind, I wish to speak with Owen about something urgent."

"Oh, I'm sure Owen would just love to talk with you, boss man," Puck said merrily as he began to float in mid air, "but as you can see, we still have a lesson to-"

"It concerns Nicole."

Puck gave a look of surprise before he fell back to the floor. He looked up at Alexander beside him.

"Sorry Alex, the lesson has to end early today."

Alexander groaned.

"But uncle-"

"Alexander, Owen and I need to talk about something important. You may continue your lesson tomorrow night," Xanatos firmly told his son. Alexander understood what his father wanted. "Now, what did Puck show you?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Alexander brightened up and showed his father the Puck figurine.

"He showed me how the create things using sunlight. Oh no," He exclaimed as he noticed his creation was fading, due to the sun having finally set, "Quick dad, maybe the light from the hallway will keep it alive!" He ran out of the room, holding the figure in front of him. Xanatos laughed at the spectacle, before chasing after his son.

Puck was amused by Alexander's antics, but he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The princess figure was still floating in the spot Alexander was previously. Puck walked up to it, looking closely at the details of the tiny girl. He had a feeling there was something similar about this figurine as well, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He saw in her tiny hand, that there was a heart, as big as her palm. Without even thinking, he reached with his index finger and touched the heart. He lifted his finger to find that the heart had become stuck on his finger. The princess had finally faded away, leaving only the tiny heart. Instead of vanishing like the princess figurine, however, the heart seemed to melt into Puck's finger, leaving nothing more than a faint glow.

"How curious," Puck said to himself quietly, observing his finger.

"Owen!" Xanatos called from the hallway.

"Coming!" Puck called, changing from Puck to Owen. Owen again stared at his finger, before he left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

"So that's how the story unfolds."

Nicole was curled up on the couch between Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway. Hudson sat on his chair, with Bronx by his feet, and two new gargoyles, who Nicole learned were Angela and Goliath, stood near him. It had taken quite some time for the clan to fill Nicole in on everything about them, from Scotland and the Wyvern Castle, to their adventures in New York, and to answer every little question Nicole had.

"Aye lass that be all," Hudson told her, folding his hands over his belly.

"Wow... your story is so..." Nicole trailed off.

"Awesome?" Brooklyn suggested.

"Extraordinary?" Lexington offered.

"Amazing!" Nicole exclaimed, before she covered her mouth, embarrassed about her sudden outburst. The gargoyles laughed at the spectacle, with Nicole joining along weakly. A clock somewhere stroke midnight, which Goliath listened too.

"As much as we'd like to stay, we have a duty to protect the city."

"I understand, do what you have to do," Nicole told them. Broadway, Lexington, Angela and Goliath left the room, staying goodbye to Nicole before they left. Hudson tuned on the TV while Bronx closed his eyes to nap, leaving Brooklyn and Nicole alone.

"Want to see the rest of the castle?" Brooklyn asked as he arose from the couch.

"Sure, I'd like that," she said as she stretched.

They walked out of the room and around the castle. Brooklyn pointed out artefacts and details about the castle that Nicole never noticed, while she talked to him about his life. As they came to the library, he told her a funny joke, with caused Nicole to giggle rather profoundly. Brooklyn frowned,

"You know, you never told any of us about your life." Nicole looked at him nervously.

"Well... I-"

"Ahem."

Owen stood in a doorway, as if he was waiting for them.

"May I have a word with you Brooklyn?"

Nicole and Brooklyn glanced at one another before Brooklyn walked over to Owen. Nicole, not wanting to intrude on their conversation, walked into the grand library and looked at the shelves of books, amazed at the sight. When Nicole was far enough, Owen spoke quietly,

"Where is Goliath?"

"He went with the others on patrol. He will most likely be gone all night."

"You are second in command, correct?"

"Yes..."

"It's very important. The reason Nicole is here is because she was attacked by three men and she had nowhere else to stay. Those same men have just broken out of custody and will most likely try to harm someone again, if not Nicole."

Brooklyn stared at Owen, before he glanced at Nicole, who had chosen a book off a shelf and was skimming through it.

"What does Xanatos want us to do?"

"He wants you to patrol the city and keep an eye out for them," He told him, but not before he leaned in closer, "But I want someone to keep an eye on Nicole during the night, as I or someone else will do the same throughout the day."

Brooklyn looked into Owen's eyes, understanding his request.

"I will make sure to tell Goliath, but we need pictures of the guys in order to keep an eye out."

Owen reached into his pocket and brought out a folded piece of paper, containing mug shots of each of the men. Brooklyn looked at it, examining each man's features.

"I'll go show this to Hudson and see if I can't find Goliath," Brooklyn told him as he folded the paper again. He looked back to Nicole before Owen said,

"I shall look after Nicole for the time being."

Brooklyn nodded before he turned and left the Library.

Nicole, still consumed in her book, did not notice Brooklyn's leave, nor did she notice that Owen had come up behind her.

"Nicole..." Owen spoke, spooking Nicole, who dropped her book.

"Allow me," Owen offered as he bent down and picked up the book. He glanced at the title, surprised at her selection.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream?"

"I have always loved Shakespeare and that is my favourite of his plays."

"And why is that?" Owen asked, trying his best to hide his curiosity.

"Because I love the comedy and humour, as well as the love between everyone. Besides, I find Puck to be quite funny and witty. He just so happens to be my favourite character in the whole play"

Puck was delighted to hear such praise from her, but Owen tried his best not to show it.

"That is...lovely, Nicole," Owen muttered.

"Thank you," Nicole replied, suddenly becoming uneasy about the situation. Owen took notice to it.

"Is something troubling you?"

"Well...it's about the other night..."

"What about it?"

"It's just... you're a very misleading person, you realise that?" Nicole suddenly shot at him. Owen was surprised at her outburst, as he took a step back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you are all chivalrous and kind and loving one minute, then cold and emotionless the next. You go through more mood swings then I do!" she exclaimed, "It's like your two totally different people!"

Owen was still taken aback by her sudden change in character.

"I mean, are all men like this? It seems like it. Oh I know; you play the nice card when you like us and then when we do something you don't agree with, you blow us off and act like we're nothing to you."

"Nicole... I-"

"Don't Nicole me, I-"

She was cut off when Owen pressed his lips to hers. His hands had grabbed her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. Nicole tensed her muscles at the unexpected moment, but relaxed after a while, welcoming the action and the shivers down her spine. The kiss, however, was short lived, as Owen pulled away.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have other business to attend to," Owen said before he turned and left the library, leaving a dazed Nicole to stare after him.

_That only proves my point,_ she almost said aloud, but refrained herself from doing so.

She remained where she was standing until she heard Fox's voice from down the hall. She rounded the corner with another woman, who she was engaged in conversation with.

The woman was beautiful, with long flowing black hair, cocoa coloured skin and a curvy figure. She wore dark pants, a black tee shirt and a red jacket.

"Nicole, I am so glad to have found you," Fox exclaimed, "This is Detective Elisa Maza of the NYPD."

"Pleased to meet you, but what brings you here?" Nicole asked.

"Nicole, the three men who attacked you have escaped from police custody. They escaped yesterday evening and have been missing since."

"How did they escape?" Nicole wondered aloud.

"That's the problem, we don't know how. It is like they vanished out of thin air."

"That can't be."

"Unfortunately, it is, but not to worry, we have every officer looking for them and we have their mug shots everywhere. Now, a big matter we have to discuss is that you might be in danger."

"Me? Why?"

"Because after looking over our security tapes from the cell they were in, we believe that you might have been a target. What we need to know is if there would be anybody who would target you. Can you think of anyone?"

"No, I haven't been able to get to really know anybody here, and I haven't done anything to make anybody want to hurt me," Nicole told her honestly.

"Maybe the whole incident was just a random act," Fox reasoned, "Nicole might not be an actual target, but just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That could be true, but measures should be taken until we apprehend the men," Elisa told them, "I have volunteered to watch over Nicole for the time being."

"That won't be necessary, I can just say in the building," Nicole offered.

"I'm afraid that can't work Nicole. You see, David and I are holding our annual charity event for the Xanatos Industries hospital here tomorrow night," Fox informed her, "and there will be at least five hundred people attending. They will be mostly in the west wing, but with that attendance, anything could happen. So, Elisa proposed that she would be around, keeping an eye on you."

"An eye on me? You mean...I'm invited?'

"Well of course, you are a guest in our home and we can't let you miss it. That and it would be better for you to be around people and to be where everyone can see you. Not to worry, David and I will take extra measures to make sure you are safe."

"I love the offer, but what would I wear? I have nothing formal or fancy to wear."

"Not to worry, I have taken care of that already," Fox winked.

Nicole faked a smile as Fox grabbed her wrist lightly,

"Come on, I'll show you. We'll talk details along the way."

Nicole walked between Fox and Elisa, chatting lightly about tomorrow's event, leaving the discarded book on a table and the darkened library.

**Fifth! Woo! Did that satisfy you people? The kiss I mean. **

**Now, if you want a free cookie, press the button in the bottom center of this page.**

***Cookies are not garenteed. Please do not sue. Review instead***

**:D**


	6. The Ball

The Ball

The next day flew by and soon, it was time for the Xanatos's annual charity ball. Caterers and decorators ran around the grand ball room, fixing and adding any little detail to the room. Owen supervised them all, not afraid to correct them or direct them to where they needed to be.

"All band members are to meet in the northeast corner of the room. Refreshments go down at the end of the table with the rest of the beverages."

Owen stood at the bottom of the stairways, giving the room one last look before he gave the signal to the guard at the top. He pulled out a walkie talkie, giving the order to begin to let people in. Within minutes, people began to walk down the staircase and into the beautifully decorated room.

After some time, Xanatos and Fox made an entrance, with Xanatos wearing a black suit with a red tie and Fox with a matching red dress. After some applause from the crowd below, Xanatos made his way to Owen, before asking,

"Are all the arrangements in place?"

"Yes sir, we have highly trained guards at every entrance, who are checking for I.D., and I have asked the gargoyles to survey the rooftop. Not to worry, all entrances from there are blocked and can only be opened from the inside. Detective Maza will enter before Nicole and will keep a constant eye on her."

"Very good, now speaking of which," Fox said as she pointed to the staircase, where Elisa was descending. She was wearing a long, purple dress with a v-neck and black heels. She kept her hair down, but it seemed to have an extra shimmer to it.

"Nicole should be down next," Owen told them as he focused on the top of the staircase. What he saw next made him hold his breath.

At the top of the stairs, stood Nicole, in a beautiful orange red dress, with matching black heels. She had done her hair in a bun, but let a few strands of hair fall in front of her face. Owen took notice to her shiny red lips and the blush on her cheeks. The crowd watched her until she reached the bottom stair. She looked nervous, so when she saw Elisa, she made her way to her.

"You look as though you're having fun," Elisa teased lightly.

"Sorry, I haven't been to one of these before."

"It's alright, the band should be starting up soon and then we'll have a ball," Fox assured her. As if on cue, the band struck up a waltz, leading several pairs of dancers to go to the dance floor. Nicole watched the dancers closely, watching how each partner stayed in step with one another.

Nicole was mesmerized by the music, and did not notice that a man had walked up to her.

"Madame, may I have this dance?" he asked politely.

Nicole turned to see that a tall man, with dark brown hair, blue eyes had his hand held out to her. Nicole, unsure of what to do, looked for Elisa for assistance. Before she did find her, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm deeply sorry, but she has already accepted a dance from me," Owen coolly told the man, before he directed Nicole to the dance floor. Nicole gave Owen a confused look, before he faced her. The band started to play a much faster paced song. Owen slipped his stone hand around Nicole's waist, letting his fist hold her back. He reached for her hand with his opposite one, and Nicole placed a hand on his shoulders. They began to dance, with Owen leading her into the proper steps. Nicole looked down at her feet to make sure she was in step, but she felt Owen's gaze on her. She looked up to his eyes to see reinsurance, before he let go of her waist and twirled her. When the reassumed the original position, Nicole had a smile on her face and looked as though she was enjoying herself. The sides of Owen's mouth gave a slight twitch. Nicole looked as though something was puzzling her though.

"Why did you do that?" Nicole finally asked.

"I had to make some time for someone to check his background," Owen explained.

"Oh, so now you're going to run a background check on everyone I speak with?"

"Not everyone. I have personally run background checks on almost everyone in attendance, but I'll only have someone check again if we're not completely sure who they are. It's all for your protection."

"Well that makes a bit more sense...but did you have to get me to dance with you to make time?"

Owen looked at her blankly, but Nicole could tell by his eyes that she had hit a point. His blue eyes looked as though they were searching for an answer.

"I had to keep you occupied while someone ran the back ground check."

Nicole smirked at the response.

"Whatever you say, Robin."

"Excuse me?"

Nicole explained,

"Robin Goodfellow was another name for Puck in _a Mid Summer's Night Dream."_

Owen continued to stare at her, as if in shock.

_There is no way she can know, can she_? He thought.

The song came to an end and Xanatos called for everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for attending and I'm proud to say that we raised $ 620,000 for Xanatos Industries Hospital! This could not have been reached without your support. I would like to give thanks to the many people who helped put this together, especially Mr. Owen Burnett. Owen, if you would please come up here."

A spotlight shined on Owen, as the crowd around him moved aside. Owen, although reluctant, made his way through the crowd to Xanatos. When Owen was far from Nicole, the man returned.

"Madame, may I have this dance?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm quite tired..."

"Then allow me to fetch you some punch. You look parched," the man offered.

Nicole agreed and the young man left towards the refreshment table. She went to an open table and waited. It didn't take long for the man to return. Nicole thanked him and took the drink. She sipped it, its tangy taste tasted unusually strange to her. After taking several sips, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach.

"Ugh, I'm not feeling too well."

"Here, let me take you to the restroom," the man said as he took her arm and led her out of the room. He took her down a hallway, where each step made Nicole sleepy and sluggish. When they rounded the corner, Nicole could not see the rest room.

"Where are we?" she asked weakly, staring at the floor.

"Not to worry, my Cheri, you are in good hands," the man replied. Nicole picked up a French accent, making her look up. The man had changed, his once brown hair had become blonde and he had grown a goatee and moustache. Nicole had heard the voice before, but before she could say anything, she collapsed, with Pierre catching her. He picked her up bridal style and walked down the hallway, a grin plastered on his face.

* * *

Owen, after accepting the applause from the crowd and a handshake from Xanatos, left to find Nicole. Before he did, one of the guards ran up to him.

"Sir, there has been an alleged sighting of two of the escapee's in the lobby."

"Have they been apprehended?"

"No sir, they disappeared before anyone could get them. They ran out of the building, down a dead end and just...vanished."

"Secure the perimeter and make sure no one leaves or enters," Owen ordered before the guard left. Owen scanned over the crowd to see a flash of orange red disappear through a door. He ran around the crowd and through the doorway. He saw someone duck around a corner at the end of the hall. He ran to it, slowing down as he neared the corner. He heard Nicole's voice, though it sounded weak. He heard another voice, a male's voice. Owen raised his fist and jumped out from behind the corner.

He saw a man he did not recognize, with his back to Owen, carrying Nicole. Owen could she that she was unconisous. Owen ran to him, but when he was only a few feet from him, a blue portal appeared in front of the man. He disappeared through it before Owen could grab him. Owen reached out, but the motion was useless. It was not before the portal closed completely that he heard a faint and malicious laugh, which echoed through his ears long after the portal sealed itself.

**Sixth! Woo! Jeez, sorry for the obvious shortness of the chapter, but I've kinda been losing interest, since I have other stories to complete and other projects. I'll try my best to update and finish this story, but be aware that it might be a while before I can write another chapter. So be patient folks, this isn't the end yet! R&R sil vous plait?**


	7. Stories

Stories

Nicole didn't remember much of what had happened. All she could remember was sipping something tangy, then some running, before there was darkness. She awoke with a slight headache to a dark room. Suddenly, a light went on above her head, slightly blinding her. She flinched away, but realised that she was tied to a chair. Nicole struggled with the ropes, trying her hardest to break free, with no prevail. She was still wearing her orange red dress, but her high heels were missing. She scanned the room, but it was too dark to see anything outside of the light. Then she heard a chuckle.

"Ah, what a predicament you are in," whispered a voice from the shadows. Nicole looked everywhere for the source of the sound.

"W-What do you want with me?"

"Oh, you would like to know, wouldn't you, Nicole," the voice teased her.

"How do you know my name?" Nicole asked boldly, trying her best to not show fear.

"I know a lot about you. I have been following you for quite some time. But enough about that, the reason your here is to answer me one, simple question. Where are the whereabouts of Merlin?"

"Excuse me?"

A woman appeared from the shadows.

"Merlin. The wise wizard and adviser to King Arthur of Camelot. You are the key to where he is."

Nicole stared at her blankly as she began to pace in front of her

"What are you talking about?" Nicole repeated.

"Don't you play cute with me dear; just tell me where he is!" The woman demanded.

"Are you off your rocker, lady?" Nicole asked loudly.

The woman shot her a glare, before calmly repeating as she struggled to control herself.

"Tell me the whereabouts of Merlin."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm serious."

The woman stopped in front of her.

"Do you remember the night of October sixteenth, seventeen years ago?"

Nicole continued to stare at her before she began to think about what she asked. It was Halloween night then, and she would have been around seven years old around that time. Nicole searched through her memory, trying her best to remember anything of that night. Then, she saw, faintly, a memory from her past.

_She remembered being shaken awake in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes to see her mother standing over her with a sleeping, two year old Abby in her arms. Her mother's black hair was frizzy and messy, as though she had just woken up._

"_Nicole, listen to me, take your sister, and hide under your bed. Be very quiet, don't move, and whatever you do, don't leave your room. Do you understand?"_

"_But Momma-"_

"_There is no time for questions, just do it," her mother snapped in a whisper. Nicole knew her mother was serious, so she quickly threw off the covers and tucked herself under her bed. Her mother placed the sleeping Abby beside her, the blankets surrounding her keeping her safe. Her mother gave them both a kiss, before telling them,_

"_Your father and I love you very much, remember that."_

"_Where are you going Momma?"_

"_Don't worry about me honey. Protect your sister and don't leave this room." With that her mother got up, walked across the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Nicole and Abby alone._

The memory ended with that. Nicole knew that she needed time to find out more. She turned to the woman.

"I do not know about that night. It was too long ago to remember."

"I see...well, maybe some time might help you remember. Jose, I want you to keep an eye on her first. If she remembers anything, come find me," the woman ordered into the shadows. A man appeared to Nicole's right. He was tall and skinny, with long black hair that fit into a loose ponytail and a frown on his face. He wore a gray winter jacket and a pair of dark jeans.

"I'll leave you to think," she told her as she walked back into the shadows, her footsteps echoing.

* * *

Owen adjusted his glasses, trying his best to remain calm and collected. Police Officers had been asking David and Fox Xanatos questions, in the entrance to the castle, while Owen stood and observed from afar. Around him, the last few guests and workers were leaving down one of the elevators.

_You can't just stand here while Nicole is out there in danger_, Puck told him from within Owen's head.

_Until everyone leaves and there is a plan, I will look for her,_ Owen replied calmly.

As if in cue, the police officers said goodbye and left to start searching for Nicole. Xanatos and Fox both frowned once the officers were in the elevator and the doors had closed. Xanatos turned to Owen,

"Owen, what happened? I thought we had a constant visual on Nicole?"

"I did sir, until the acknowledgements were made. Whatever happened to Detective Maza?" Owen wondered, suddenly noticing her absence.

Just then, Goliath rushed into the room, with Elisa in his arms. She looked unconisous; her arm was dangling on the side of Goliath's arm.

"What happened?" Fox asked as Goliath placed Elisa gently on the floor in front of the three.

"Broadway found her in one of the spare rooms near the ballroom. At first, he thought she was sleeping but..." Goliath trailed off as he looked down at Elisa.

Xanatos surveyed her carefully before announcing, "It looks as though she has been drugged."

"Drugged?" Goliath whispered in shock and confusion.

"Look, she is waking up," Fox told them as Elisa stirred. Slowly, she began to open her eyes, at first dazed, but once she saw Goliath, she smiled.

"Elisa, what happened?" Goliath asked as he helped her to a sitting position.

Elisa's smile turned into a frown as she tried to remember what happened.

"Well," she coughed, "I remember I was watching Nicole and Owen...dancing I think, then some guy came up to me and offered if I wanted a drink. I took it...then I remember this tangy taste, followed by some sharp pain in my stomach. Then I ran to find a restroom and... fell asleep."

Xanatos looked up to Owen, who had a frown and a look of anger upon his face.

"I can't believe I took a drink from a stranger," Elisa muttered to herself.

Goliath pulled her into a reassuring embrace. Xanatos looked to Owen.

"What are you not telling us, Owen?"

"Nothing sir," Owen dryly spoke with a hint of thought and anger. Owen remembered how Nicole looked before she had disappeared into the portal. She could have had her drink drugged as well.

"What do you suppose we do?" Goliath asked, as he helped Elisa to her feet

"The police are aware that Nicole was taken and are searching the city. However, due to the urgency of the situation and the circumstances, I suggest we start our own search," Xanatos proposed, "Goliath, if you and your clan can search the city for any signs, while we do some research and figure out what's going on. And Owen..." David turned around to find that Owen was nowhere in sight.

"Where did he go?' Goliath asked.

"With any guess," Fox spoke quietly, "to do some research on his own."

* * *

Nicole tried her best to remember anything about what had happened that night, but she remembered nothing. The only thing that had come out of that night was that Nicole and Abby were taken by child services and put into a foster home until they were old enough to live on their own, with the knowledge that their parents had died of unknown causes.

She remembered the morning clearly...

_Nicole was still wearing her pajamas that she had been wearing since the night before. She looked at her sister beside her, Abby, who was inside a small play pen, playing with the toys that the lady had given her. Nicole didn't like the lady, she believed that she was too nice, and that her smile was hiding something. They were inside a room, were the walls were painted with rolling hills, trees and fluffy clouds. Several chairs, both for adults and children, were scattered throughout the room. Nicole looked at the large mirror on one of the walls, hearing hushed voices on the other side. She was confused, and slightly afraid, fearing that there was some sort of monster on the other side, ready to eat her and her sister._

_Suddenly, the door on the other side of the room slung open, revealing the lady. Her brown hair was tied back in a tight bun, so tight that the skin on her face looked stretched and stiff. She was old, even by Nicole's standards, with wrinkles due to stress and age forming around her face. She wore a large, brown suit with matching dress pants; the colour was not at all flattering on the woman. She spoke in an overly sweet tone,_

"_How are you, Nicole? Are you good?"_

_Nicole looked at her, unsure if whether or not she should answer, but eventually, she nodded._

"_Where are my mommy and daddy?" Nicole asked yet again, as she had been repeating the same question since she had arrived in the room with Abby. The woman's smile turned into a thin line. She heaved a sigh before she grabbed one of the chairs. Nicole copied her by grabbing a smaller chair. The lady heaved another sigh before stating,_

"_Nicole, honey, your parents' are-"_

A loud hiss interrupted Nicole's thoughts, and she looked to see that the man known as Jose had lit a match. He was sitting on a wooden crate he had dragged from the darkness. He brought it to his lips, which held a cigarette, and lit it. Jose noticed Nicole's look.

"Don't worry, it was just me," he assured her as he reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a rather large flask and screwed off the lid quickly, as if the contents inside held a fair importance to him. When the smell from the flask reached Nicole, she smelt strong liquor.

"Is that Vodka?" Nicole asked him, bravely.

"Yea," he muttered as he removed the cigarette from his lips.

"It must be morning by now, why are you having it so early?"

"It's never too early," he told her as he took a swing of it. Nicole noticed how he drank it, as if he didn't drink, he would be unsatisfied.

"Are you a drunk?" Nicole asked bluntly before she realised her error. But to her surprise, Jose merely chuckled. His laugh was warm, but it had its own bit of sadness to it.

"Liquor has two purposes, Paco, to make you feel good, and to make you feel like shit."

Nicole heard the Spanish nickname and began to recall back to her high school Spanish class, which back when she attended, was a mandatory course. She remembered very few phrases, but she did remember this one. It meant small one.

"And what do you use it for?"

Jose looked at her with sad eyes before he turned away.

"I use it to help me forget."

Nicole was about to speak, but a loud cluck was heard in the darkness, followed by a groan.

"Damn crates!" a voice whispered harshly in the darkness. Jose shook his head as a second man emerged from the blackness. This man was slightly taller then Jose, with a bigger build and more muscles. His red hair was shaggy, but shiny and Nicole could see all his freckles that were spread out along his face. He wore a dark green jacket, which was size too small and light blue jean.

"Patrick, what happened this time?" Jose asked in annoyance as he rubbed his temples with one hand.

"Nothing, I just ran into a damn crate, that's all," the man said in a heavy Irish accent, "It's my turn to keep watch."

Jose shrugged as replaced the cigarette between his lips and walked back into the shadows, his flask still in hand.

Patrick shot a glare at Jose before sitting down on the same crate Jose used. He began to mutter to himself, his accent making it very hard for Nicole to understand a word. When Patrick noticed her confused stare, he cursed rather loudly in what sounded like Irish Gaelic, which shocked Nicole.

"Sorry," he muttered, further shocking Nicole, "I know the accent is bad, but I am adjusting."

"I don't mind," Nicole spoke quietly, giving him a reassuring smile.

He gave a nod before he looked to his thumbs and began to twiddle them. After a minute of silence, he asked her, "Do you remember anything yet?"

"No," she simply told him

More silence. He continued to twiddle his thumbs, while Nicole watched. Nicole, growing more bored by the passing second, finally asked,

"Why were you glaring at Jose earlier?"

The man turned to her before saying, "Oh, I just don't like it when he drinks."

"Why not?"

"Because," he trailed off as he gathered his thoughts, picking out what he was going to say, "People change when they are drunk." The man finished the conversation and went back to doing what he did before.

Nicole understood, but very vaguely. She decided to drop the matter. As she returned to her thoughts, she focused on finding anything from that night, anything at all.

* * *

"Alexander! Where are you?"

Fox had been calling her son, who had escaped just as she was about to tuck him into bed. She turned down one of the hallways to find Nicole's door was left ajar. Cautiously, she walked over to it and gently pushed the door open.

Inside, the bed side lamp was turned on, with Alexander standing beside Nicole's bed.

"Alexander, there you are. It's time for bed sweetie."

"But mom, I want to read Nicole's story!" Alex pleaded as he held the notebook up to his mother.

"Alexander, you shouldn't be in Nicole's room without her permission, let alone be searching through her things," Fox scolded her son.

"But mom, Nicole promised me she would read to me before bed tonight. I was just getting ready until she comes."

Fox's frown turned into a look of nervousness. Alexander still didn't know of Nicole's disappearance and Fox intended to keep it that way, at least for a little while. She reached out er hand and grasped her son's.

"Nicole is busy at the moment, but she said I could read you some of the story. Come; let's go to your room."

Alexander followed his mother back to his room, where he leaped into the bed, snuggling into the covers. Fox sat down on his bed, taking the book from him. Alexander flipped the book to where Nicole had left off, and Fox began to read,

_Puck turned into a prince, with sparkling jewels and long flowing robes. He went inside to the ballroom, where everyone was dancing to the music. The princess was dancing with another man, when she noticed Puck-the Prince-. He asked for a dance, which she gracility accepted. _

_As they danced together, Puck found himself falling for the princess's beauty and grace. He was so enchanted by her beauty that he almost forgot he had to take her back. Taking her by the hand, he led her out into the garden, where a grand maze stood. The couple entered the maze, running around corners until they reached the centre, deep within the labyrinth. _

_When he knew no one was around, Puck began to transform back into his original form. It frightened the princess at first, but she was amazed by the magic he possessed after watching him. Once Puck had changed back, he began to explain to the princess that she was a being from a far away land, one that she must return to before her 18__th__ birthday ended. The princess was shocked as Puck explained to her, but mildly interested in what he had to say. After he had told her everything, the princess told Puck that she would go back with him. Puck smiled as he made a portal for them to step into. Unfortunately, Puck realised that he would not have enough magic to take them back to the land, but only enough to take them at least three quarters of the way there. Not wanting to worry the princess, he simply held out is hand. The princess reached out, held onto his hand, and together, walked through the portal, before it closed behind him._

Fox finished the page and looked down to her son, who was now fast asleep in his bed. Smiling, she knelt down, kissing him gently on the forehead before she left his room, taking Nicole's story with her.

As Fox walked down the hallway, towards Nicole's room, she looked at the booklet in her hands, amused.

_This story is brilliant; no wonder Alex likes it so much. I should make a note to contact my friend at Brooklyn Publishing, when this is all over. It would be a great bestseller._

Fox frowned as she remembered Nicole's disappearance, quickly walking down the hallway, to find out if there was any news.

* * *

The light from the screen was the only source of light in Owen's office. His eyes scanned through articles and records, trying to find anything that could lead him to Nicole. He decided to go back to when Nicole first arrived, hoping to find something there. He scanned through records to find a rent contract for the apartment Nicole owned with her now ex boyfriend.

He looked at files, reports, anything he could find on Trevor. Apparently, he sustained a regular childhood, with two loving parents and a good home. The only suspicious file was a criminal record, where he was busted for drug possession and almost faced time in juvenile hall, but was released with parole at age sixteen. Owen figured that Trevor wouldn't have the will power and money to pay three men to kidnap his now ex girlfriend.

Owen focused on Nicole again, finding nothing but her apartment contract. He decided to go deeper, to before she moved to New York.

He searched her names through state records, to find nothing. Expanding his search to the eastern coast line, he found several hits around the small town of Alford, Massachusetts. Following the leads, he found a short newspaper article, dating back at least seventeen years. He opened it to find, in big letters, Unexplainable Murder.

_**The peaceful night time of our little town was disturbed two nights ago, when police found the bodies of Amelia and William Kent, local book store owners of The Key Books, in their acreage home, a mere mile from Alford. Responding to an anonymous 911 call, local police discovered their bodies in the kitchen of the home. There apparently had been some sort of struggle, but no major damage to the home. **_

_**The Kent's two daughters, ages 7 and 2, were found within one of the bedrooms, underneath the bed. The girls were found to have fallen into a deep sleep, which neither of them recovered from as they were taken by Child Services. Nothing has been said in regards to if the girls knew what transpired that night. **_

_**Police have not released any information in regards to the cause of death for the couple or any other information regarding the case, but the police believe it was either a homicide or a homicide/suicide. **_

_**The fate of the Kent's two daughters are unknown, as well as what will happen to the Kent's property and processions.**_

_**A memorial service will be held on the 6**__**th**__** of November. Details on page 14.**_

Owen scanned through the article, his frown deepening with each sentence. By the end of the article, Owen realised why Nicole was so touchy on the subject of her parents. He doubted that she truly knew what had happened, but he dared not think about it.

He opened a government record on Nicole and her sister. It was a brief file with Child Services. After Nicole and her sister were orphaned, they were placed in a foster home and were lucky enough to stay in the same home for the majority of their childhood and teenage years. After they turned eighteen, they left the foster home and lived on their own from then on.

Owen was still curious about the news article and began to search through it again. There were definitely holes in the story, Owen noticed. He searched for a similar article and found a memorial article from ten years ago. The article was fairly short, with its only purpose to remember the Kent's achievements and life.

His next move was to try and look at the police record of the murder. Fortunately, his computer program could hack into any program or system he wished to, one of the perks of working for Xanatos. Owen never really saw a purpose for it, until now. After some time, he was able to see all records of Alford. He narrowed his search to criminal and police investigations, and was not surprised to see rarely anything happened in Alford, except for the odd disturbance or property dispute. He found the Kent case in one of the station's cold case files. Opening it, he scanned the report. He stopped when he reached the results of their autopsy.

_**Mrs. Amelia Kent and Mr. William Kent, after a full and complete autopsy, had none of the following life threatening and/or common causes of death:**_

_**Gashes, lacerations, injection holes, chemical burns, burns, broken bones, internal bleeding, external bleeding, crushed or severed organs, strangulation marks, torn muscles, or bruising.**_

_**The results of the Toxicology report show that both Mr. and Mrs. Kent did not die of any of the following:**_

_**Reaction to allergies, chemical intoxication, poisoning, overdose or alcoholic intoxication**_

_**Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Kent died from Natural, Accidental, Homicide, or Suicidal deaths. Their cause of death is undermined.**_

Owen stared at the results for a minute, rereading the report. He then scrolled down to find the autopsy photos. From looking at them, he could see there was indeed no physical mark anywhere on their bodies, and since the toxicology report had found that nothing they had ingested had been their cause of death, their deaths truly were a mystery.

_It's as if they dropped dead_, Owen thought to himself.

What also surprised Owen was the way that Mr. and Mrs. Kent looked, in comparison to Nicole. William Kent had brown, straight hair, a long face, was fit and had blue eyes. Amelia Kent had raven black, curly hair, a square face, a petite build and purple eyes. Looking back at Nicole's case file, he found a photo of two year old Abby Kent, who looked more like her mother, despite her age. Nicole looked nothing like her parents, in any way shape or form.

Owen leaned back in his chair, letting out a rare sigh. He may not have found out where she could have been taken to, but he found out a lot more about her, more than he had in the week he had known her, making him more uneasy.

**Guess who's back!**

**That's right, I'm not dead! *Crickets* **

**Anyway, you must have seen that I did put this story on Haitus. I did that mostly because I didn't know how soon I could get back to this story, and I thought it might be better, so no one would be waiting months for me to update this. Speaking of which, I actually wrote a long chapter! Hope you all enjoy it.**

**For the record, I'm pretty much winging the whole Foster Care system bit, newspaper article and Tox report...F.A.L.**

**Sorry if it's wrong! Reviews would be appreciated!**

**Ok, It's one in the morning here, so night!**


	8. Hope and Despair

Hope and Despair

Nicole inhaled and exhaled slowly as she stared at the concrete floor. After what seemed like hours, she needed to relax. She couldn't remember a single thing from that night, except for when her mother had waked her up and after she woke up again in the government building. Nicole had grown frustrated with each passing hour, trying her hardest to remember anything.

_If something was so important from that night where...Merlin...was involved and some crack pot lady had to get three guys to kidnap me, it had to be really important._

She began to shiver, noticing how cold it was, wherever she was. Being in nothing but the dress she wore to the ball, she noticed her skin was becoming paler, with a blue undertone to her skin. Nicole looked out into the dark, trying to find anyone. Patrick had left a while ago, complaining that his leg was hurting from earlier, leaving Nicole by herself. Being alone would have given Nicole a golden opportunity to escape, but taking into consideration that she didn't have any idea where she was, that she could be caught and the ropes around her arms and wrists were extremely tight, she decided not to risk it.

The shivers pulsing through her skin intensified, making her feel colder with every passing minute. Hearing the click of heels, Nicole looked out into the darkness, to find the woman had returned, only this time, she was wearing a white jacket that just touched the ground.

"What do you remember now?" The woman asked.

"I don't remember anything," Nicole honestly told her.

"You should start to, because bad things happen to people who don't give me what I want," The woman told her, taking a step towards her.

"Well what I want to know is why you need me to remember a single night that happened years ago and what do you want with this Merlin guy? I have never known a Merlin," Nicole told her, shivering.

The woman stared at her calmly, but Nicole could she in her eyes that she was holding in her rage.

"Just do as I say, and you won't get hurt, dear," she said coldly, before turning around and walking back into the dark. "And will someone give her a damn blanket?" she yelled into the dark.

Nicole heard another series of footsteps, where Patrick came out of the dark, with a huge, wool blanket in his arms. He draped it over her, making sure that she was completely covered. Nicole was slightly surprised, as she noticed that Patrick had actually taken the time to make sure she was warm. What also surprised her was how comfortable she was with both Jose and Patrick, even though they did kidnap her. Their tough exteriors did not hide the emotions in their eyes, which Nicole had seen in both of them upon making eye contact. With Jose, she had seen sadness and pain within his eyes, and with Patrick, she had seen confusion. The emotions both men had displayed fascinated Nicole.

He stood back, scanning her from head to toe before he was satisfied. Patrick then turned, and made his way back into the shadows, but not before Nicole whispered,

"Thank you."

Patrick stopped and rotated his head, glancing at her before continuing on. Before Nicole saw him completely disappear, she could have sworn she saw the corners of his mouth twitch.

"So, what do we know?"

Xanatos stood in his office, staring out the window, into the still dark night. Morning was drawing nearer, meaning that the gargoyles standing around him would have to assume their stone figures once more. Fox leaned against her husband's clutter free desk, her arms folded across her chest. Owen stood further away, watching the group as they talked.

"That Nicole was taken by the same three men who had tried to kidnap her earlier, and that one of the men took her through a portal while the other two were a diversion," Goliath reported.

"That after the attack, she wasn't seen anywhere around the surrounding area outside," Brooklyn added.

"We know that both Elisa and Nicole were drugged by a drink, Elisa's so she wouldn't be involved, and Nicole so she couldn't fight," Hudson said solemnly.

Owen clenched a fist when he heard Hudson's statement. He was finding it harder to compose his normally calm facade, with all that was happening around him.

"Those men wanted something with Nicole, something important," Fox explained further, "Because, it couldn't have been an accident or a random occurrence if they somehow broke out of jail and kidnapped her. And that we still don't know how they did escape in the first place."

"That can be explained," Elisa called from the doorway as she entered. "I managed to get the tape from the prisoner's cell."

"Isn't that illegal?" Xanatos raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I am in charge of reviewing the tape anyway," she smirked as she held out the tape to Xanatos, who was highly impressed. Goliath, however, looked at Elisa strangely. "Don't worry," she assured him, "I'll return it as soon as I can."

Xanatos put the tape into his VCR machine, before turning on his TV, while everyone gathered around it. A blurred screen became a clear image of a cell, where the camera was facing opposite. Inside the cell, one man paced back and forth, while one stared out the window and the third slept on the bed. The two men awake seemed to be discussing something, until the third woke up. They continued to talk until an officer arrived at their cell.

"Now, pay attention here," Elisa told them, pointing to the officer. He seemed to be telling the men something, but just as he was, he suddenly collapsed. All three men looked shocked, and ran to the bars. From the far corner of the screen, the tips of pale fingers stretched out to the door of the cell, rotating, and then disappearing as the door opened by itself. The men looked to one another before they exited the cell.

"Is that it?" Xanatos asked, breaking the silence.

"It is. All other security tapes from that timeframe were blank. It wasn't until about five minutes after that the cameras started recording again."

Fox asked, "What about the fingertips. Whoever opened that door seemed to do it-"

"Using magic," Owen cut her off, staring at the screen. The others turned to see a frown upon his face. He walked closer, staring at the shot with the fingertips. "The way the fingers are rotated could mean that whoever opened that door was using a very advanced level charm. This one did not require an incantation, but only sheer brain power and concentration. It takes someone years to develop and perfect a spell like that; meaning that whoever this is has had a lot of time on their hands."

"Are you saying that they're a magical being?" Angela asked him.

"Precisely, most likely a witch or sorceress."

"How do you know it's female?" Brooklyn asked curiously.

"Well, the structure of the finger is feminine and seeing as they're wearing nail polish, I would suggest that it is obvious."

The group stared at the screen, finally seeing a glimmer of clear nail polish on the stranger's fingernails.

"Someone's not very careful," Lexington commented.

"The only three problems we have now," Xanatos spoke as he looked towards the horizon, "Is that we don't know who this woman is, where she is keeping Nicole, and more importantly, what she wants with her."

Goliath realised that the sun would soon rise, and motioned for his clan to follow him. "We will look again for her tomorrow night," Goliath told Xanatos, before he walked towards the door. Elisa followed him out, closing the door behind her.

Xanatos rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, turning to face his wife and friend.

"Owen, did you find anything while you were searching?"

"I found nothing about her whereabouts," Owen told them honestly. He had considered telling the Xanatos's all he had found out about Nicole's life, but he decided against it, figuring that it was not the most appropriate time, seeing as they were finding out where she was being held.

Xanatos's lips formed a thin line as he looked out the window. As he gazed out, the sun began to rise above the city, its light creeping into every alley way and street, waking up the sleeping city for another busy day.

"There must be some way to find her," he muttered.

"If this was a hostage situation, the kidnappers would have contacted us already," Fox reasoned, "So what are they holding her for?"

"It could be a number of reasons, none of which I would even consider at the moment," he softly told her as he went to wrap his arms around her. Owen shared his thought, but did not speak.

"If only she could be known to us," Fox whispered.

Something in Owen's mind clicked.

"There might be a way," he spoke to himself.

"Pardon?"

"I have an idea where we can find Nicole. There is an ancient incantation that, when done correctly, be able to find any person, dead or alive."

"That's perfect Owen!" Fox exclaimed.

"The only problem is that it requires full concentration and cannot come into affect for exactly twelve hours."

"Then we shall make sure no one disturbs you," Xanatos told him as he went behind his desk. He placed his hand underneath the edge. Suddenly, the TV began to move upwards, until it disappeared, revealing a white room.

"This is a sound proofed room I had installed for security and... personal reasons, in case I want to scream at something," Xanatos admitted.

"This will suffice," Owen blankly told him as he stepped inside.

"Do you need anything? Food? Water?" Fox asked, mildly concerned.

"No, those will only distract me."

"Then good luck," Xanatos wished as he reached under his desk again. Owen stood still, watching the Xanatos's until the door closed. He turned back to the room and stood in the middle. Even though Oberon had forbidden him from using his magic, other than teaching or protecting Alexander, there was always a loophole somewhere. Owen thought about what might happen if Nicole was never found and that the three men might go after Alexander. It was enough to make him transform into Puck right then and there. Sitting on the floor, he took a moment to stare out into the emptiness, making sure he rid his mind of any last minute thoughts.

_I pray this works._

He closed his eyes; the very last thing on his mind was Nicole's green eyes, filled with wonder and hope.

Patrick stared off into space, consumed in his own thoughts until he heard a large hiss. Looking to Jose, he saw that another match had been lit. Bringing the stick to the cigarette between his lips, he lit the match before letting the snuffed out match fall to the floor. He stomped on it with his boot for good measure.

"Must you smoke in here?" Patrick grumbled.

"It's not like I can go out for a break anytime soon. Besides, Meave hasn't complained yet, has she?"

"But she hasn't been around to say anything."

"You have a point there, senior; I haven't seen her or Pierre in a while. They must be...enjoying each other's company," Jose shivered, distured by the thought.

When Patrick did not get what he was referring to, Jose shrugged it off**. **Getting up from the chair he had been sitting in, he walked to the window of the office Meave had told them to stay. Pulling the blinds apart slightly, he looked down to see Nicole was still staring out into the emptiness, a blanket still covering her.

"How is she?" Patrick asked from his chair behind the desk.

"She looks fine, doesn't really seem to have remembered anything yet. I should go down there in a bit to check on her."

"Why does Meave even want with her anyway?" Patrick wondered loosely. Jose paused at the question and how serious it was. Meave had never elaborated on her dire need for the woman and her memory of some forgotten night long ago.

"That is a very good question, mi amigo."

"She looks as though she couldn't hurt a fly."

Jose sighed, "It's best not to ask any questions, unless you want to get paid."

Patrick went quiet. "I do need the money."

Jose went to sit down on his chair, placing his legs on top of the desk Patrick was sitting at. He smirked at his partner before asking,

"So what do you need the money for?"

"What?"

"What do you want money for? What would you spend it on?"

Patrick took as second to reply.

"Well, first, I would use it to help bring my mom and sisters over here and then buy a big house for them. Maybe get a better paying job while I'm at it."

"Sounds like a decent plan," Jose took the cigarette out, blowing a puff of smoke from his mouth.

"What about you? Do you have any family you want to bring over or send money too? Because last time I checked, you had a job, apartment, pretty much everything."

Jose paused again, this time taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to check on her," he said briskly before leaving. He slammed the door shut, creating an echo throughout the compound. He rapidly climbed down the stairs until he hit the floor. He slowly walked in the dark until he reached the light.

Nicole looked up at him, giving him a blank look.

"Did you remember anything yet?" he asked coldly.

"No...is something wrong?" she asked in calm, yet concerned tone.

"Don't worry about it chica," he simply told her as he went and retreated back into the darkness. He went for the staircase, but instead, walked past it, towards a door. Swinging it open, he found himself in a cold storage room filled with several crates. He closed the door behind him before stopping. He leaned against the wall, letting him slide down it until he was on the freezing floor. He unzipped his jacket and reached underneath the shirt he was wearing to pull on a gold chain. He pulled it gently until he was able to grab the locket it was attached to.

The locket itself was very simple, just a gold circular locket. But engraved on it was a long stemmed rose, whose stem curved around the flat front. He used his thumb to tenderly open it, to reveal its contents inside. The only two things inside were an engraving of words and a small picture of two people.

Jose looked down at his younger self, who looked so happy and full of life. There were no aging lines on the face of the man in the photo, only smile lines. Jose glanced from his former self to the other person in the photo. Sitting beside Jose, was a beautiful young woman. This woman had long, raven black hair- much like Jose's—in long, fine curls that flowed down, brushing past the red sundress she had been wearing. Deep green eyes stared up at Jose, while a brilliant white smile was spread across her lips. From what Jose could see, she still had tiny freckles that danced across her olive skin nose. The couple were sitting underneath an olive tree, where, from the lighting, it had been a sunny day. The picture became blurred as half of a tear drop was split, once it hit the edge of the locket. Jose's finger wiped picture before it went to wipe the ones that were swiftly falling from his eyes. He let the locket slip through his fingers, softly hitting his chest. Sobs filled the quiet air. Jose found himself repeating the same, mumbled word; over and over again. The locket was still open, and the engraving clear.

_Jose and Alicia_

_Forever and Always_

**That's right, I'm not dead. Just having a lack of inspiration lately. Found some and thought I might finish a chapter.**

**And yes, I did say that this story was on haitus, but I couldn't do that to this story. But that doesn't mean I'll be updating every week. All I am saying is that you can still read this story, but don't get your hopes up if I don't update every other week or so.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy~**

**Side note: I will elaborate more on each of our three crooks back stories, either next chapter or the one's coming up. Who know's, considering I`m making this all up as I go ;)**


	9. Rescue

Rescue

Elisa walked up the stone steps to the tower where the gargoyle clan turned to statues during the day, as she did every night. It was slightly cooler at dusk; the early spring wind chilling her as she walked. She ignored it, focusing on continuing up the steps. She was running late, only because she had been working hard on Nicole's case, even though there were no new leads.

She reached the top level where Goliath was perched. He was frozen in a horrific pose as he over looked the city below. This didn't scare Elisa, because she knew what was underneath his 'stone' exterior. She knew all too well how kind and compassionate Goliath was. It was noted even when they first met, when he had dived trough the air to save her from falling to the cement below the Aerie building.

She stared up as his frozen face, smiling to herself. As she did, the sun set behind her, it's last rays disappearing over the horizon. Goliath's stone skin began to crack; his eyes became bright orbs as he stretched. He shook off the stone fragments and roared, as did the other gargoyles. He turned to look at Elisa.

"Elisa, how are you?"

"I'm ok," she answered simply.

"What is wrong?" he asked as the others reached the two.

"There are no leads or clues in Nicole's case."

The group looked blue by this news.

"We can look again tonight," Brooklyn said, "can't we?"

"Of course," Goliath assured him, "We will visit Xanatos before we depart."

"Um, Goliath," Lexington quietly spoke, "Is it alright if I stayed here? I'm sure that Alexander could use someone to look after him with Fox being so busy. Besides, I promised him I would visit him tonight"

"I'm sure Alexander will be fine. We need all the wing power we an for this mission."

"I can take care of the lad," Hudson suggested. Goliath nodded. Hudson turned to find Fox.

Angela watched Hudson go before looking to her father, "Poor Alexander. He must be missing her terribly. So should the Xanatos's."

"And Owen," Brooklyn added seriously with an undertone of humour.

Goliath turned to Angela, wrapping his arm around her as they turned the corner to the hallway with Xanatos's office.

"We will find Nicole, be sure of that."

* * *

_When the one who is lost, and cannot be found,_

_And their trail cold and bare,_

_Let the winds blow round and round,_

_And find the lost one for which we care,_

_Show me the one called,_

_Nicole Kent._

Puck had been repeating the same incantation for hours now, surprisingly never becoming bored with saying it over again. He had been focusing on trying to find Nicole, and felt as if he was getting closer to her. He repeated the spell; the feeling growing stronger and stronger. It seemed to move from his stomach to his throat, to his mind, and then...

There was nothing.

Puck opened his eyes to find himself in a dark space. In here, it was calm and clear, with not a sound or worry.

A small window seemed to appear in front of him, slightly starling him. He regained his focus before he walked to it. He peered inside.

He could see Nicole, tied to a chair, with a light shining down on her. She had a thick blanket over her, but he could just see the edge of the dress she had been wearing underneath. She looked tired and cold. He needed to see more about her whereabouts. As if on cue, the window's range of view expanded to a large room that looked like a warehouse or storage facility. It continued until the outside of the building was shown. The building was in fact a warehouse and Owen could see the Hudson River in the background. He sighed in relief. He had found Nicole, and was ready to go and bring her home.

* * *

Nicole was exhausted, but she dared not sleep, in case the woman came back again. She had no idea what time it was and how long she had been awake. The effects were shown by her drooping eyes, empty stomach and the rope burns on her wrists and ankles. She felt herself becoming weak with fatigue, too tired to continue. She wanted to give up, for she knew that she couldn't remember a single thing from the night so many years ago.

But then, she felt a small, but gentle poke, deep inside her heart. It caused her no pain, but rather, it strengthened her. The feeling was warm, calming, and reassuring. Nicole suddenly felt better, mentally and physically, like that feeling was telling her to not give up and wait a bit longer, for help was on its way.

So she stood up in the chair, letting the blanket slide off her and onto the floor. She waited patiently, knowing, somehow, that she would be safe soon.

* * *

Fox sipped her tea solemnly as she waited with her husband for Owen. They had been waiting to see if he had found Nicole's whereabouts. David had even cancelled a meeting in order not to miss Owen. Xanatos was about to take a sip of tea when he heard a shuffle from within the room. Both Xanatos and Fox rose from their seats, notably anxious. The door ascended to reveal Owen, with his famous smirk spread across his lips.

"She's safe. I know exactly where she is."

"Lead the way, good fellow," Xanatos motioned to the door. With Owen leading the way, the three left the office to talk with the other residents of the castle.

* * *

Footsteps echoed throughout the building. Nicole looked straight ahead to where she knew the woman would appear. She came into sight; a frown on her face.

"I have waited long enough. Do you have anything for me?"

"I'm not sure. Do you accept lint or would you prefer that blanket over there?" Nicole asked smartly.

The woman stood still, but Nicole could see the utter rage in her eyes. Taking a step forward, she raised her hand to strike Nicole. She was about to, until a man called out from the darkness.

"Mademoiselle, the gargoyles have been spotted on the security cameras!"

She lowered her hand to look back behind her. "About time they showed up," she muttered.

A loud booming sound came from somewhere in the dark, followed by a scream and a series of roars.

"They have busted a hole in the wall!" the voice shouted again.

The woman turned back to Nicole before quietly telling her, "This is where we depart, for now. I will come back for you my dear, I promise you." She raised her arm beside her, moving her hand from side to side. A blue portal appeared and the woman stepped inside. The second she had disappeared through it, the portal closed, leaving nothing more but a sudden chill. Nicole looked around, looking for any sign of the woman.

More footsteps echoed, and the gargoyles appeared.

"Nicole!" Goliath, Angela, Lexington and Brooklyn all exclaimed.

"Are you ok?" Broadway asked as Brooklyn moved to remove the ropes around Nicole. Using his claws, he easily slashed through the rope, allowing Nicole to stand. Because she had been sitting down for a long time, however, she stumbled. Lexington and Brooklyn reached to grab her and stabilize her

"Yes, I am alright, now that you all are here."

"Did they hurt you?" Brooklyn asked concerned.

Nicole thought to how Patrick had cared for her. She shook her head. Thinking of Patrick and Jose, she asked, "What happened to the men who helped kidnap me?"

The gargoyles looked to one another before Lexington answered.

"We don't know."

"I was fighting this big guy," Broadway told her, "I went to go take a swing at him, but he fell back into this blue hole."

"The lady did the same thing," Nicole told them, "But she conjured the portal."

"Lady?" Broadway looked puzzled.

"Portal?" Lexington asked confused.

"We should leave," Goliath told them, "The Xanatos's should be waiting outside and who knows when the police might arrive."

The group walked back into the black, with Brooklyn holding Nicole as she walked. They led her to a wall were a hole had been created. When she was outside in the cold, she looked back to see that she had been held in a warehouse by the river. She looked forward to see the Xanatos's and Owen were waiting by a black car. Seeing Owen, Nicole smiled brightly. He ran to her, taking her from Brooklyn's arms.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, they didn't harm me. I am fine Owen, just tired."

He gave her a quick rare smile.

They walked to Fox and David. Fox reached out; opening the door and directing Nicole inside. David faced Owen.

"The police will be here momentarily. Take Nicole back to the Aerie building and have her rest. I'll explain everything to the police."

Owen nodded as he entered the driver's seat. Looking in the rear view mirror, he saw that Nicole was resting her eyes against Fox's shoulder. He drove away, letting himself drive quickly as possible to the Aerie building.

* * *

Owen carried a still sleepy Nicole to her bedroom just as Alexander peeked out of his.

"Nicole!" he exclaimed.

"Alex, honey," Fox told her son quietly, "Nicole is very tired and you should be in bed. Where is Hudson?"

At the mention of his name, he appeared from inside the room.

"Sorry milady, I must have dosed off. Nicole, you're...back," he added when he saw Alexander—he still had no idea Nicole was missing.

"That's quite alright Hudson. Come on Alex, let's get you to bed."

Alexander grabbed his mother's hand as he rubbed his eye with the other. He yawned goodnight to Nicole and Owen. Nicole smiled weakly before Owen continued on. He opened her door before placing her on her bed. She groaned as she rose from the bed.

"Nicole, you should be resting, you've been through so much already" Owen warned her.

"I will rest, as soon as I am out of this dress."

Owen looked to see that she was still wearing the orange dress from the ball. The dress was wrinkled and torn in several places along the neck and hem line.

"Oh."

"Yea. My pajamas are in the closet, the white tank and gray pajama bottoms."

Owen stepped lightly over to the closet, gently opening it and retrieving the garments. He turned to see Nicole was standing beside her bed.

"Thank you Owen."

"You're welcome."

An awkward silence began as they stood there.

"Owen?"

Seeing the clothes in her hand and the look on her face, Owen understood immediately.

"Sorry. I'll leave you to... get ready..."

He left without a second more, much to Nicole's amusement. She had noticed how embarrassed the regularly emotionless Owen was.

_It's a nice change_, she thought to herself as she unzipped her dress.

* * *

It took all the will power Owen had in him not to look at Nicole as she undressed. Owen was standing beside the doorway, where the door had been left slightly ajar, just enough so it wasn't noticeable. He looked at the wall across from him in order to defy his urge.

_Why are even doing this?_ Puck suddenly asked._ She's a mortal girl, it's not like you haven't done this before when you were free. Why is she any different?_

His own question surprised him. Why was Nicole different from all the mortal girls he had met? Owen thought of every possible reason.

_She is an attractive, if not beautiful woman. She has hair as red as embers and eyes as green as a pine tree. Her skin is as pale as snow and lips that are full and luscious. She always smells like rain and fresh grass. She walks with grace, most of the time anyway. Her personality is truly one in a million. She's kind, helpful, loyal, mischievous, smart, and creative. The biggest part was that she was caring; that she puts everyone before herself. Her heart has nothing but love and compassion, regardless of all the horrible and tragic things she's been though. She's not only beautiful, but she has a beautiful soul._

It was then that Owen had a realization.

_I'm falling for her. But how can I? How an immortal fall for a mortal? I believed we had no human emotions such as love, unless it was for thy self. And why is it so sudden? I thought humans took their time whenever they fell in love. This possibly couldn't be one of those 'love at first sight' situations?_

Before he could answer any question, Nicole called from inside her room.

"I'm decent, if you wanna come in."

Owen took a deep breath in before he pushed the door open. Nicole was sitting in her bed; the covers pulled up to her stomach with her arms resting at her sides.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes Owen, as I have said, I am just tired."

"Then I shall allow you to sleep. Goodnight Nicole."

He reached for the doorknob, but Nicole stopped him when she simply said,

"Owen."

He looked at her tired face.

"Yes?"

"Do you like me?"

The question obviously caught him off guard. He searched for a suitable answer.

"Yes, I enjoy your company very much; I have grown fond of it during your stay."

"You misunderstood. Do you like me?"

"In what context are you implying?"

"I want to know what the kiss back in the library was."

Owen had forgotten about the kiss. With all the worry that he had been feeling, the memory of the incident had slipped from his focus. All he could recall was that Nicole had been talking about something quite furiously. Maybe it was the way her lips were moving or a certain glimmer in her eyes, Owen couldn't remember, but he had felt a sudden urge to kiss her right then and there. He did, much to her surprise. He could feel it when she tensed up when he wrapped his arm around her. When she had relaxed and accepted the kiss, both Owen and Puck felt like doing backflips.

"Owen?" Nicole said, interrupting Owens flashback.

"Pardon?"

"What was the kiss?"

Owen paused before replying, "It was a kiss, nothing more. You were talking quite fast and refused to stop."

"Oh."

Owen could see the disappointment in her eyes, realising it was slowly crushing him.

"Goodnight Nicole." He turned the doorknob and closed the door behind him before Nicole could say anything.

* * *

Shortly after midnight, Owen found himself walking past Nicole's room after he had finished some very important, yet tiresome business transactions. He paused at her door. Puck suddenly overcame his thoughts.

_You should check up on her._

_That would be an invasion of her privacy,_ Owen argued.

_After the time she's had, you owe it make sure she's still in her bed. And it's not like Puck ever felt guilty about doing this before._

_Shut up._

_Oooh, Mr. Stick up his arse is snippy._

Owen sighed before he gently and quietly opened her door.

The room was dark. Owen could hear Nicole's quiet breathing. He was about to leave when he stopped himself. He didn't have time to protest as he slowly walked into her room. He reached her bedside, where the light from the hallway hone on Nicole, making her visible. She was asleep—her hands cradling her face on top of the pillow. She looked peaceful as she slept. Owen noted a piece of her hair was displaced on her forehead. He found himself gently lifting it away. His hand then caressed her cheek. He couldn't resist any longer. He lowered his head-ever so kindly—to press his lips to her forehead. The touch was gentle, caring; it was Owen's way of telling her he'd keep her safe without directly telling her.

He lifted his head, allowing him to stare down at her face. He went to lift his head to leave, but he felt a hand move up his chest before it found his tie. He couldn't stop Nicole from bringing his lips to hers. At first, their lips were pressed against each other, but Nicole loosened her grip on his tie so they were touching more softly. Owen couldn't help but think this was ten times better than the kiss in the library. This kiss had more expression, more power. It was sudden, unexpected. Owen could taste Nicole's lips—a mix of mint, cherry and strawberries. The combination was surprising, yet flavourful. Owen felt the grip on his tie loosen completely before Nicole removed her lips. She stared up at him; their heads inches apart.

"Wow," she whispered.

Owen only sighed.

"Now I know."

Owen looked at her before she continued.

"I know now that you care about me. You came into my room to check up on me. This I know because you are a man of honour and responsibility, a man who wouldn't go into my room without my permission for any other reason. You touched my cheek, and then kissed me gently. On my forehead too, which in society today is considered a sign of protection. And yes, I was fully awake when you were sneaking in, so quit giving me that look. You may not say you love me, let alone feel it, but you do care about me, Mr. Burnett. That is a characteristic of love, whether you like it or not."

Owen sustained his stare, taking in all she had said.

"Now you know how I feel, and vice versa," she continued, "While you are a man of responsibility, you also seem like one who is scared, or unsure of love. Maybe the mere thought of utter it aloud scares you, I don't know. I'm quite content with that. We don't have to start anything anytime soon, if ever. I just wanted to know your feelings and let mine be known. Now that it's out in the open, I realise how tired I am, so if you please, I think we both deserve sleep after what we've been through. I wish you goodnight and sweet dreams."

Owen nodded as he stood up and walked to the door. Closing it behind him; he leaned against it.

_One thousand years and she's the first girl-mortal or not—to leave me completely speechless_, Owen realized.

All Puck could mutter was, _Damn._

**Short and Sappy. Lovely. I do admit I was extremely lazy while writing this ****chapter. Inspiration is low at the moment. Blah.**


	10. A Home Becomes Just a House

A Home Becomes Just a House

Gray clouds shielded the sun, making the land look dark and sullen. The early morning fog had not yet receded; its thick wall covering the country road ahead. A black car rolled down the way, passing the landscape of Massachusetts. The vehicle harboured three people inside, two men and a woman, the latter being the only one in the back seat. The driver quickly scanned an approaching sign, on which listed several towns and their distances to said municipalities.

"Approximately, we have half an hour before we reach Alford," the driver noted blankly.

"Good, I don't know how much longer I can stay up here in this...cramped space," the passenger groaned, "How do you do it Owen?"

Owen merely pointed out, as he slowed down close to an intersection, "Sir, was it not your idea to let Nicole have the back seat to herself, in case she wished to sleep?"

"Don't remind me," David Xanatos grunted as he turned to look out the window.

Owen glanced at the rear view mirror to find the red head was lounged over the backseat sleeping. He let the slightest twitch in his lips be seen before they returned to his normal frown.

In the back seat, Nicole shifted her weight so her head was on top of her folded hands. The movement caused the silver bracelet and loop earrings she was wearing to jingle. They matched the dark blue turtleneck and black tights she was wearing. One of her black ballet flats had been behind the driver's seat, revealing her dainty foot. Nicole sighed softly, yet remained sleeping. Xanatos turned to look over the seat.

"She looks rested. I wonder what she's dreaming about."

Owen didn't answer. He did hope, however, she was dreaming about better things.

* * *

Nicole was not actually dreaming; she was reminiscing the previous night with her eyes closed. She had heard everything the two men had been saying, but she wasn't really paying attention. She focused instead about how last night had lead up to this moment.

_Nicole had slept all night and all day. She woke up just as the sun had begun to set. She sat up to stare at the window. It took only seconds for her to remember the night before. She knew that everyone was waiting for her to explain everything. Nicole pulled back the covers, rising from her bed._

_Stretching, she made her way to the bathroom across from her bed. Closing the door gently behind her she looked over the spotless bathroom. White marble covered the entire floor area, the sink, the toilet and the bathtub. Gold painted hooks, faucets and handles added colour to the room. A large mirror hung over the sink; a full body mirror beside it. Nicole walked past them and turned a sharp corner to face the shower. It was a large, standard shower with brown marble running up the wall opposite the faucets and shower head. _

_She opened the door, reaching inside to turn on the hot water. Slipping off her clothes, she stepped inside, the warm water relaxing and cleansing her. She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it back. Nicole sighed. She felt peaceful and warm for the first time in days. She wished she could stay like that, soaking up the water and enjoying its warmth, but she knew that she couldn't. _

_While she was thinking, Nicole wondered how warm Owen really was. Pausing when she realised she had allowed herself to think that, she shook her head._

"_I shouldn't be thinking like that. It's not proper. Nothing has been established yet."_

_She shut off the water and stepped out, reaching for a towel off the hook. Wrapping it around her, she grabbed another for her head. Once it was wrapped, she gathered her clothes and exited the bathroom. Nicole opened the wardrobe beside the door for her clothes. She pulled out a dress which Fox had given her when she first arrived. The sundress was a bright orange, with thick straps and a hemline that ended above her knees. Though she was sceptical about the possibility of fitting her, she tried it on to find it fit her perfectly. Nicole rarely wore dresses, but since it was late and she would only be wearing it for a few hours, it would be suitable._

_She unwrapped her hair from the towel, drying it before she went to the bedside table. Her hairbrush lay on top. Brushing her hair out, she decided to leave it to air dry. Her hair began to dry with fine ringlets forming close to her scalp. Satisfied, she threw the brush on her bed and left her room._

_She made her way to the kitchen when she heard voices. Recognizing them as the gargoyles' and Mr. Xanatos, she walked in._

_Goliath, Brooklyn, Hudson, Owen and Mr. Xanatos were standing; deep in conversation. Broadway was in front of the counter, eating what looked like noodles. Angela stood beside him, her nose in a book. Upon seeing Nicole, Brooklyn called out,_

"_Looks like Sleeping Beauty's up." _

"_How did you sleep?" David asked as she joined the group._

"_Fine, thank you, though I am kind of hungry." As if on cue, her stomach let out a low growl._

_The group chuckled—minus Owen- as Broadway offered, "I have some stir-fry noodles if you want."_

"_Sounds delicious, big guy!"_

_Broadway retrieved a bowl. He loaded it with noodles before handing it and a fork to her. Taking a bite, she groaned with contentment._

"_This is the best!"_

_Broadway beamed as Angela hugged him around the waist. Nicole ravenously devoured the dish before Xanatos finally asked,_

"_Nicole, we'd appreciate it if you told us about your time in the warehouse."_

_Nicole swallowed her food. She began to tell them everything that had transpired while she was held hostage._

"_And then she just...disappeared through this blue portal."_

"_Whoa," Broadway muttered._

"_Strange," Goliath said, "That she mentions Merlin."_

"_Yea," Brooklyn agreed. "Why would she be after him?"_

"_So he is real?" Nicole asked in disbelief._

"_Oh most definitely," Hudson told her, "We have met Merlin before. The last we heard from him, he was traveling the world."_

"_But what does that-" _

_Nicole stopped when she felt someone hug her legs. Looking down, she saw Alexander—clean and in his pajamas—had a tight grip around her._

"_Nicole! I missed you!"_

_Nicole blinked. She bent down so she was eyelevel with him._

"_I missed you too Alex," she smirked, bringing him into a hug. _

"_How did he know she was gone?" Broadway whispered._

"_My son is very smart and clever," Xanatos told him. "You should see the way he sneaks away before bed time."_

_When Nicole pulled away from the hug, she looked over Alexander to see Lexington standing in the doorway._

"_Come on Alex, it's time for bed," Lexington chuckled._

"_But I wanna play with Nicole."_

"_Don't worry Alex, I'll play with you soon," Nicole assured him._

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

_Lexington picked up the small boy, just as he let out a large yawn. He waved at the group before Lexington disappeared down the hallway._

"_Now, back to the task at hand, what is our next course of action?" Xanatos asked. _

"_Would it not make sense to find out how Merlin is connected to this woman? To contact him and talk to him ourselves?" Hudson proposed. _

"_That's not a bad idea," Xanatos agreed._

"_If I can say something," Nicole cut in, "This all started in my hometown about seventeen years ago. I am sure of it, because... I lost my parents that night. And if this woman is somehow involved, I want to know how. If she killed them..." Nicole paused. "I need to go back to Alford for answers as soon as possible."_

"_But this might be what the lady is planning," Angela said, "She wants you to go because she assumes you'll want to be on your own."_

"_We can't have that, can we?" Xanatos muttered, "I propose that Owen and I accompany Nicole to Alford. And for extra measure, I ask you, Goliath, for a few members of your clan."_

"_I'm sure Brooklyn, Angela, Broadway and I would be honoured to help," Goliath smiled._

"_But sir," Owen spoke, "We both have responsibilities to attend to here."_

"_Then cancel our appointments. We both need a vacation, who knows the last time you had one," Xanatos joked, playfully slapping Owen on the back. The clan and Nicole shared a laugh, much to Owen's annoyance. "We will head out tomorrow morning then. Get a good night's sleep Nicole," he advised her as he turned to leave, with Owen right behind him. _

_Goliath turned to her, "Where is your hometown? We can leave tonight and roost somewhere close by. "_

"_Alford, Massachusetts and that sounds good," Nicole yawned just as Lexington strolled in._

"_Sleeping Beauty should get more sleep," Brooklyn snickered._

"_Maybe she'd stay awake if you kissed her," Lexington teased, complete with kissing sounds._

"_Shut up!" Brooklyn snapped. Nicole was leaning against the counter trying to hold in her laughter._

"_Brooklyn is right," she managed to say between giggles; "I should get to sleep if we are leaving first thing. Goodnight...or do you guys say good morning?"_

_The group laughed as Nicole retreated to her room, but not before hearing Lexington and Brooklyn loudly bicker. It stopped when Hudson told them to give it a rest._

* * *

_The next morning was a blur to Nicole. All she could remember was waking up, getting dressed and being ushered to a black vehicle. Mr. Xanatos had graciously given up the back seat for her, seating himself in the passenger's seat. As Owen opened the back door for her, he explained to her that Fox had packed an overnight bag for her and that he had brought her notebook with him._

"_Thank you Owen," she yawned._

"_You're quite welcome Nicole."_

_He shut the door and climbed into the front seat. He drove out of the underground parking garage to begin the long journey to Massachusetts._

* * *

"Nicole?"

"Hmm?"

"We're here," Owen told her.

Nicole rose from her sleep in time to see the sign welcoming visitors to Alford. The town she was born in had expanded as far as Nicole could remember. Businesses were open, despite the fact that few people were walking the streets. They slowed by a dinner—Rosie's Dinner—before Owen pulled into the parking lot.

"Might as well have brunch while we're here, on me," Xanatos explained, "And we can ask around about your house."

Owen opened Nicole's door to have her shoe fall off. He picked it up and gently held her ankle. Slipping on the shoe, he glanced at Nicole. Seeing the blush on her cheeks, he smirked slightly. He stood up and offered his arm, which she accepted.

The trio walked into the Dinner. The place was virtually empty, except for a small family finishing breakfast, two lumbermen having coffee and a teenage couple sharing a milkshake and fries at the end of the counter. The group sat down at one of the booths near the back. Taking the menus provided, they skimmed through them quickly without a word. A large woman with greying hair walked out of the kitchen in an apron. Her name plate said "Rhonda".

"Welcome to Rosie's, what can I get ya'll?" she asked as she reached for her notepad.

"Coffee," Owen muttered.

"Toast on white please," Nicole told her.

"Your finest scrambled eggs and bacon with coffee, thanks," Xanatos said, handing her the menus.

Rhonda nodded before turning back to the kitchen. Their orders didn't take long, and soon she was back.

"Here you go anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes, we would like some information. How long have you lived here?"

Rhonda frowned.

"I'm not that old."

"I was not suggesting that."

"Flattery will get you nowhere. If you must know, I have been here my whole life. Me and my twin sister have never lived anywhere else. Well... now she lives someplace better, God bless her soul. Cancer you know."

"Sorry to hear," Nicole said.

"Don't worry about it. Her name lives on in this dinner. That and I lost the coin toss for the name of this place. Now is that all you needed to know?"

"No, we want to know everything involving... the Kent's," Xanatos whispered the last part as he slid a fifty across the table

Rhonda looked surprised. She looked around, waited until the family had left before she leaned in,

"Why ya'll wanna know about that, I won't ask, but I can tell you that the Kent's were always... unusual. They were not too social, but they were nice enough. Amelia and William Kent moved here as newly-weds some twenty five years ago, built their own house and everything. They opened up a bookstore that actually used to be down the block from here... The Key Books I think it was called. They also had a baby girl here a couple months after they arrived. Had to call in a doctor, that's what they said. Honestly, Mrs. Kent didn't look like she had one in the oven when I saw her before, but I'm not judging. Cute little girl, by the way, always was smiling whenever they ate here. A couple years later, they had another girl and that time I did see the bump. They were happy as far as I could tell."

"Then what happened?" Xanatos pressed.

Rhonda paused before continuing, "Sad thing that happened to them. They were eating dinner here that October night. It wasn't busy that night as I recall so we chatted-small talk and such. And once the youngest fell asleep, they left. I was told I was the last to see them alive. The police were called early that morning to their house. Not much was released to the public, but I've been friends with the sheriff since grade school. He told me that the way they were found... I'll spare you the details. I dropped my brand spanking new coffee pot when he told me to give you an idea. He was the one who found the two girls under the bed, you know. They were in such a deep sleep that nothing could wake them. Anyway, the police thought it was a homicide/suicide at first, then just a homicide, but with little evidence, they closed the case. After the funeral, the girls were taken by child services, since there was no other family and the bookstore was sold. As far as I know, the bank took some personal stuff and locked it away, as the will stated to do. Everything else in their house was put up for a public auction. The house is still on the market, but no one wants to buy because of the history and of the giant marsh on their land, something about it being like unmoveable or something. Shame."

The table sat quietly for a minute. Nicole stared at Rhonda before exiting the booth. She ran out of the dinner in sobs. Owen stood and rushed after her. Outside, he found her sitting outside the car, her arms around her knees. When Owen cautiously walked to her, he heard her crying.

"Nicole?" he whispered.

"Owen," she grumbled.

"It must be hard to hear about that."

"It is. I remember... I remember coming to eat some nights... I... remember the funeral and Abby was asking me where Mom and Dad were. I-I told her...they...oh god."

Owen bent down, rubbing her shoulder while coaxing her to get up. She stood before throwing herself into his chest. Shocked at first, he awkwardly wrapped his stone hand around her back then placed his good hand on the back of her head. She sniffed as she looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Thank you."

Owen nodded as he brought her to him again. Resting his chin on her head he closed his eyes to silently listen to her sobs.

* * *

Xanatos and Rhonda watched quietly from the front door.

"Her parents died when she was very young. Stories like that get to her sometimes," Xanatos explained with a partial lie.

"Poor dear. It's a good thing she has a man like that to help her through," Rhonda pointed to Owen.

"Yes, yes it is. Thank you again for the food and the address."

"If you are so interested in buying, I suggest you don't keep your hopes up. I have seen your types before and they are always disappointed whenever they get find out the marsh is unmoveable."

"I'm merely looking, but thank you," Xanatos said as he left towards the car.

"Ya'll come back now, you here!" she called after him. Rhonda closed the front door and watched them drive away. Rhonda turned around to come face to face with the teenage couple and the lumbermen. Rhonda smiled, but it instantly turned to a gasp. Her eyes opened wide before she collapsed. The boy and larger of the two men grabbed her and began to drag her behind the counter. The girl reached for the Open sign, flipped it to Closed and stood back.

"Seems as though someone is going home," the girl gave an icy grin.

* * *

Falling onto the bed, Nicole sighed. She stared up at the white ceiling of the hotel room. Xanatos and Owen were in one of the other three rooms talking. She turned over to her side to see out the window. Outside, the fog had disappeared, but the sun had just begun to set. The streets had become busier and noisier. Nicole rose to close the blinds. She slumped down on the bed again, but reached for her notebook. Flipping it to one of her more recent pages, she began to write,

_After the battling the troll, the princess and Puck decided to rest under a giant tree in the forest. A fire was lit; leaves were crafted into beds and then placed under the stars. The princess turned to Puck before asking,_

"_You are not a real fairy, are you?"_

_Puck answered, "I am a magical folk that has no real powers. I am basically useless."_

"_No you are not," the princess told him, "You have saved me more than once, with or without magic. You are perfect the way you are."_

_She hugged Puck before falling asleep. Puck stayed up late, thinking about what the princess had said. He cared deeply for her, but because of his status, he knew they could never be together. He-_

A knock came from the door.

"Nicole, it is almost time to leave," Owen warned her. She set aside her notebook and opened the door. "Are you sure you're alright with doing this?"

She looked up at him, "I'm ready."

* * *

Night had already fallen by the time the black car rolled up the long driveway of the Kent's residence. Nicole looked out to see a strangely familiar white house. The house itself was small, with a large front porch, green door and two small windows on the second floor. As Owen parked the car, Nicole didn't wait for him to open the door for her. She stared up at the house she once knew. A flapping of wings made her turn. The gargoyles had arrived.

"Goliath," Xanatos greeted, "You arrived just in time. Where were you roosting?"

"In an abandoned barn, not too far from town. We thought we were alone, but what we didn't know was that some cattle were grazing nearby."

"Yea, imagine waking up to find you've been licked," Brooklyn groaned as he ran his claws though his still sticky hair.

"Imagine that," Xanatos smirked, "Now I propose your clan spread out around the house and keep watch for anyone suspicious."

Goliath nodded, "Brooklyn, take the back. Angela, keep guard on the roof. Broadway, the front gate and I'll stand guard out front." The three gargoyles went to their specific destinations.

"Nicole," Xanatos said, "Whenever you're ready."

Nicole faced the house. Owen came up beside her. She took a step forward, then another with Owen following behind her. Slowly, she reached her front door. Turning back to see Goliath and Xanatos standing there waiting, she gently pushed the front door open.

Looking inside, everything was too dark. Owen clicked on a flashlight on and handed it to her. Taking it, she scanned the hall. The staircase leading upstairs was on the left with the living room beside it. Down the hall, Nicole could see the kitchen. She took careful steps towards it. The kitchen counter had a thick layer of dust covering it. The once white cabinets were chipping and peeling with age. The only furniture was the table and three mismatched chairs. Nicole rounded the corner to find herself in the living room. Scratches in the floor were what remained of the furniture that was once there. The fireplace stood strong, but ashes had seeped out, covering the floor. Nicole walked to the window where she found chalk ruminates. She walked around it, gasping.

"D-Dad..."

Owen walked to her to see the faint outline of a tall person in chalk. Nicole struggled to breathe.

"Nicole?" Owen said.

"I'm fine. I want to go upstairs," she told him curtly.

Owen moved aside as she led the way towards the stairs. Climbing up them, Nicole ran her hand along the railing, feeling every nick in the wood. Upstairs, the hall had five doors. The closest one had a duck with a rain hat sticker on it.

"The bathroom," Nicole explained in a weak laugh, "I remember Mom putting that on the door. I was really young."

She continued to the door across from the bathroom. Pushing it open revealed a pink room with a single crib inside.

"Abby's old room. Her favourite colour is still pink."

Closing it again, she walked past the smallest door that led to a closet. She paused outside the fourth door. More chalk was found outside the door.

Sobbing, Nicole whispered, "She died protecting Abby and I." Stepping over the chalk, Nicole stood with her head bent downwards. "I can't open it."

Owen stepped forward and grasped the doorknob. Slowly, he pushed it open. Nicole faced him with tears streaming down her face. Looking inside, she saw the light green room had flowers and trees painted along the walls. The small bed frame sat under the window. The closet was bare.

"Mom woke me up in the middle of the night holding Abby," Nicole began to explain gasping, "and told me to get underneath my bed. She told me to stay there and that she loved me. She left and that was the last time I saw her...I can't remember anymore, no matter how much I try... I want...need to remember," Owen waited as she composed herself. "I need to visit one more room."

Nicole shut her bedroom door and walked to the final room where a string with a shell was hooked over the doorknob.

"The shell," Nicole whispered as she held the shell gently, "came from the beach we would visit every summer. When it was on the door...it warned me that Dad was taking a nap... and that I should be quiet." She shut her eyes, letting the shell slip out of her hand and bang against the door. She grasped the doorknob and swung the door open. Inside, the closet was slightly ajar with nothing but a few coat hangers. The bed frame stood, but two of the wheels had given out, making it lopsided. The brown walls had begun to peel.

Nicole sighed, turned to leave and stopped. She looked towards the window, where the top of a tree was just visible.

"That tree used to be a sapling. It's gotten so big. I wish to see the backyard."

Nicole shut the door and walked down the hall. Down the steps, hall, and into the kitchen, she made a sharp right to the backdoor.

Outside, the night had made the backyard look eerie. Shining the flashlight, she saw the tree under her parent's window and the larger one beside it which held a tire swing. She walked to it, shining a light over the spider webs that had been created. Turning 180 degrees, she now faced the garden her mother hand tended to, but was now overrun with weeds. She kept walking further into the yard, just before the tree line that led to a small forest. She was about the step in, when she paused. Owen stopped suddenly behind her.

"What is it?"

"Where is Brooklyn?"

Owen looked around to see that the winged creature was nowhere to be seen.

"Nicole, get behind me. Now!"

Nicole had taken one step towards him when she heard a rustle in the bush. She saw out of the corner of her eye a silver rope slither out before it wrapped around her ankles. She tripped forward before being pulled back into the woods. She heard Owen screaming out to her, repeating her name over and over again. Nicole was pulled until she reached soft ground. The rope released her. She turned over to find herself on the shore of the marsh. Two leaves flouted down from above. She looked up in shock. Dangling from the trees in the silver rope were the four gargoyles and Xanatos, all of them gagged and staring at her with horrified eyes. Nicole was frozen on the ground as she heard someone whisper,

"Welcome home, Nicole."

***Comes back from the dead to face angry mob of people wanting to kill me after not having a new chapter in so long***

**I wrote at least three chapters during my vacation so put the pitchforks down...SLOWLY.**

**I will upload them as soon as I can, just need to edit some bits. Stay tuned, because a LOT of questions will be answered in the next chapter**

**Love you all!**

***throws mob new chapters in order to escape certain doom***


	11. Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

Nicole looked towards the marsh, where the woman was standing, literally, on the water's surface. In her hand, she held several strands of rope, all connected to her friends above.

"It's so nice to see you again," she cooed, "I hope this time we can actually talk."

"What have you done to my friends?" Nicole asked in a shrill voice.

"Nothing damaging, they're just bound and gagged. I don't want any...interruptions."

"What the fuck do you want lady?"

"Language dear. And I never did introduce myself, did I? How rude of me. Over the years, I have gone by many names, but I prefer my very first name, Meave. But before I explain, I better take care of something."

She stretched out the hand that held the ropes, where a single tread erupted from the others. It sped through the woods, only to return with Owen in tow. He too was gagged.

"That's one problem dealt with, but I can feel a second problem. Just arrived by portal, typical. Can you not feel it Nicole?"

Nicole couldn't answer, because just then, the trees bended to reveal a path. Walking in was an old, short man with a long white beard and deep blue robes. Once he was beside Nicole, the path disappeared and the trees returned to their normal positions. A rope sped out and trapped the man, forcing him to his knees.

"Merlin, after all these years," Meave sneered.

"It is not a pleasure, I assure you. And I see you have become stronger with your magic. I applaud you." the man named Merlin replied sarcastically.

"Come on, after a few centuries, you could at least write. And I should hope so; I've had a couple years to practise."

"I would rather forget about you."

"Please. Without me, there would be no others."

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" Nicole yelled at them.

Meave laughed, "You haven't explained anything to her?"

"I haven't even met him before!" Nicole exclaimed.

"Oh dear, you have much to learn," Meave sighed, "Would you like me to explain?"

"Please!"

"Fine, but you don't come in till later. Our story begins centuries ago, to the time of Camelot and King Arthur. Picture if you will, a certain wizard but bored and curious. He wonders if life could be created without the need for a man and woman. He is especially curious if said life could be created with a certain appearance. So he begins to meddle with nature to create life, never telling a soul of course, for fear he will be in trouble. Thinking that a man would try to steal his power, he sets to create a woman. He uses his only love, Nimue—or the Lady of the Lake as you may know her- for the body figure. And as added inspiration, he added sea water to the mix. On the full moon of that month, he mixes many ingredients into a large cast-iron pot, including his own blood. After uttering an incantation, he sees that it has worked once a woman rises from the pot. She has the appearance similar to his fair Lady. That woman was me just so you know."

"You look nothing like her, she is more beautiful," Merlin cut in.

"Shut up old man and do not interrupt," Meave shrieked before taking a calming breath. "Back to our story, the wizard was so joyful that his creation was alive, he set out to make more like her. Since she had been forged with seawater, he wanted to experiment with other elements. He climbed the highest mountain for the swiftest wind and reached deep into the ground for the best earth. He even took the hot coals from his own fire. With each element, he decided to experiment with age as well. While he was busy playing God, his first creation became empty with self-worth. She was nothing more but a body with no real purpose. She was forced to stay in his hut and work for him. One day, when he went away on a quest, she found his spell book and fooled around with the magic. She taught herself spells and incantations. Before the wizard returned, she escaped up the chimney and flew away, but accidently left some of her hair behind in her hairbrush, which the wizard later used in his other creations. Imagine, as she was travelling, she felt herself growing weaker after the second creation was born. When she finally became too weak, she travelled back to the wizard. He explained that he had used her hair and had sent the second someplace around the globe in a different time. The only way the girl could find it was if she lived long enough to find her. The girl ran to start searching. The odd thing she did find was that the longer she stayed near mortals, the faster she aged. She could look a few years older just by living in a populated city for one year, but looked younger when she was on her own for four. She kept doing the process in order not to age too much. After a century or two, the girl was clever enough to follow Merlin since he visited the previous creations or took his newest one somewhere different, but always just missed him. He had created a third and released it just before taking on Nimue as an apprentice. After Merlin was foolish enough to be trapped in a tree by his love, the girl went searching on her own. When she heard of his escape generations later, she found out he had made a fourth and final one. She followed him to a small town in America where he was silently watching her every few years. And that is where you come in."

"But," Nicole managed to say, "My parents...my mother gave birth to me-"

"No they didn't you fool! Did you ever notice how different you were compared to your parents? How different you were from your so called 'sister'. That was because Merlin left you at their doorstep!"

"No! You're lying!" Nicole cried as tears streamed down her face.

"Why would I lie about something so obvious?" Meave sneered, "You have been living with mortals for too long. They are so predictable...and easy to kill."

Nicole stared up at Meave before springing up off the ground. "You bitch!" she screamed as she charged. Meave pretended to yawn as another rope shot across the swamp and grabbed Nicole's legs, wrapping up her torso and snaring her arms. She fell to the ground with a thump.

"I really thought I wouldn't have to do that," Meave sighed, "But you have become predictable too."

"You killed them too...my parents," Nicole managed to utter.

"Yes, I did. See, I had finally found out exactly where you were shortly after Merlin's last visit. I was so close to you I couldn't resist any longer. I knocked on the door and your "father" opened up. I made my demands clear, but he wouldn't give you up. So I had to take care of him. Upstairs, I found your "mother" with a measly little pocketknife. That knife did nothing for her. But here is where the story twists. I tried entering your room, but I couldn't get in. That's when I concluded that Merlin must have had some charm on you. I had to wait until that charm wore off, which it did several weeks ago."

Nicole stared at Meave with hateful eyes. She only looked away when she noticed that her kidnappers had appeared on the other side of the marsh.

"Your parents were nothing but holes under my belt. I have killed people in the past. Just decade and a half ago, for example, I remember I was in Ireland posing as a bartender in a small, nameless town. I loved playing with this man who loved his beer more than his wife and four kids. It was easy to look like his death was a drunken driving accident. I think the same thing happened to your father, right Patrick?"

Nicole looked to see the Irish man was red with fury. He screamed, "You witch! You were the one my old man cheated with? It broke me mother's heart it did!" He charged at her, but was snagged with a rope and hoisted above in the trees.

"Don't be too upset dear. Your father was easy to manipulate. It must run in the family," Meave began to laugh. A rope branched off from her hand, aiming directly for Jose. When he was beside Patrick, she explained, "I don't want a repeat of what transpired for our next side story. Barcelona, Spain about nine years ago is the setting for our tale. Posing as a flower salesman, I always saw the same two young people so in love passing my stand. I had heard that the man had proposed with a necklace and the wedding was to be a big celebration. I was very bored, and the prospect of meddling was just too much to pass. As a master of disguise, it was simple to change into a gorgeous bull fighter and ask the little lady to run away with me. When she refused my offers, the next step was obvious. I managed to stick around town along enough to hear her fiancée's screams. Her murder even hit national news as one of the greatest unsolved cases in years. That story is pretty accurate, wouldn't you say Jose?"

Tears were pouring down Jose's face with anger and sadness. He couldn't say anything.

"See how you are all connected to my plan. If you are wondering, I did no wrong to Pierre; he was just a nice young man who hid me in Paris after my time in Spain. When I told him who I was and of my plan, he couldn't refuse and was loyal to me ever since. I was still in a meddling mood when I found out Patrick and Jose were working at the same shipping yard, years later. I arranged for Pierre to befriend them, and that is when my plan truly went into effect."

Nicole's rage had turned to disbelief. "How could you do that to them?"

"Because I could with my powers I have. Killing people is a simple act if you were born with no conscious. That is why killing you and everyone here will be easy. And since I'm in the area I wonder how messing with a certain billionaire's family will make me richer and be...amusing in the process."

"If you harm Alexander-" Nicole stopped when a bright light began illuminating from above. Nicole was blinded until the light stopped. In front of her was a man with long white hair, pointed ears and the strangest attire Nicole had ever seen. He wore navy blue tights, a purple tunic with a gold sash around his waist, an orange shirt underneath it with gold trimmings around the sleeves. His knee length boots were exactly like his shirt. He grinned fro to ear in a fake sort of way. Nicole noticed how his eyes looked mischievous, yet cunning.

"Big mistake Meave, now you've invited me to play," the man spoke in a merry voice.

"Who are you?" Meave asked in disgust.

"Like you, I am called by many a name, but I like Puck, the trickster," he told her as he gave her a mock bow.

"Puck?" Nicole asked in a confused tone.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll protect you," Puck winked to her.

"In that case, I hope you're ready to play my game, Puck," she said the last part mockingly. With a menacing laugh, she raised her arm out to him. The water around her swirled and reached for her open palm. She rotated her wrist upwards, sending the water directly at Puck. He used one hand to conjure up a platform directly under Nicole, raising her off the ground. With his other hand, he created pillars to help stop the attack. But the water weaved between the columns, nearly knocking over Puck. He rose several feet in the air, conjuring up a wall around Meave. Water burst though the barrier, crumbling it. Water again shot through the air, but instead of one strong blast, the water split into two, making it a prong. The two pointed spike nearly pinned Puck to a tree, but he hovered above it before it could trap him.

Nicole watched the fight from her platform, unsure of what to do.

"Nicole!" Merlin called out, "Use the earth!"

Nicole looked at him funny until she figured something. Her arms were tied, but her wrists and hands were free to move. She leaned to the side so her hand was grazing the platform.

"Now imagine using the dirt to help cut the ropes," Merlin instructed, "You could fashion a knife or-"

Before he could finish, a large spike burst out from the platform, brushing past Nicole enough to slice the ropes.

"That works too."

Nicole stood up just as Puck was blindsided by a blast of water, causing him to fall to the ground. Meave started to walk towards him with a murderous look in her eye. Puck sent two blocks flying towards each other on both sides of Meave, but she easily deflected them. Nicole searched for a solution. Spying quite a few rocks on the ground, she got an idea. Working fast, she gathered some dirt around her just as Meave reached Puck.

Puck moved his arm towards the ground but Meave was able to step on it, pinning Puck to the ground.

"You have been a thorn in my side for too long, trickster," she growled, raising her hand to Puck, "But I will make your death quick. Goodbye-"

A loud swish made Meave stop just before a large rock collided with the back of her head. The rock fell to the ground, a blue mixture draped over it. Meave reached behind her head to feel that her skull had caved in and the liquid was pouring from the wound. She looked at the rock, then to Nicole. She didn't notice that she had stepped off of Puck's hand, giving him a few precious seconds to clap his hands together, thus allowing him to teleport.

"You will regret that mud child!" Meave shrieked as she sent a shot of water flying at Nicole, completely ignoring her injury. Nicole dove to the ground of the platform, just missing the blast.

"You look as though you need help," a voice came from above. Looking up, Nicole saw Puck was hovering overhead. "Allow me." He touched the platform, causing it to descend downwards. Once Nicole was on the ground, she yelled,

"What was that for? Now she can obliterate me!"

"Then I suggest you slice her before she obliterates you," Puck winked. Nicole caught onto what he was saying. Crouching down, she punched the ground and closed her eyes. The soil around her began to shift upwards, wrapping itself around her arm. As she raised her arm, the rest of the earth narrowed to make a long point at the end, resembling a sword. Staring down at what she created, she whispered to Puck,

"I don't know about this."

"I told you, I will always protect you."

Somewhere in her brain, something clicked.

"Owen?"

Puck only winked at her before turning his attention to Meave, who had started walking towards the pair. She stopped when she saw the addition to Nicole's arm.

"Well, all you could fashion was a knife? You are like that mother of yours after all. Hopefully your death will be less painful," Meave began to laugh. Rage began to leak from Nicole. She thought of all those who had been affected by Meave-Jose and his fiancé, Patrick and his family, Nicole's parents, Abby, the Xanatos's, Owen- they were somehow involved with Meave, whether directly or otherwise. Those thoughts fuelled her to charge Meave and have the strength to swing her sword downwards.

The wild cackling had ceased once Meave felt something slice through her. Looking down, her left arm was completely detached from her body and was lying still on the ground. The ropes that had been attached to her arm withered and shrivelled up. Blue fluid poured from her arm, shoulder and the cut deep in her torso. She stared horrified at Nicole who stood deeply breathing in front of her, her sword still in Meave's body. Nicole pulled hard on her arm, taking out the sword from Meave, causing more fluid to shoot out before falling to her knees. Stumbling back, Meave fell to the ground, making her eyelevel with Nicole.

"I never knew... you had it in you," Meave managed to utter. Pierre ran to her, bending down to pick her up. "Get off me you fool!" she screamed before she rose to her feet. "You... may have won...this one... but mark my word... that you and everyone you love will die slowly and...very painfully. I promise you until I breathe my last breath."

Before Nicole or Puck could respond, Meave summoned a portal and dragged Pierre though it. She laughed weakly, as her and Nicole's eyes met holding until Meave had completely disappeared. When the portal closed, a sudden chill escaped, freezing the ground.

Nicole stared at the frozen ground before a hand reached out to her. Owen stood where Puck once was, smiling softly down at her. Taking his hand, he pulled her up, steadying her as she he again pulled her to her feet. Nicole laughed weakly which, for a rare moment, Owen returned. They stopped when they heard Brooklyn groan. Broadway was helping him up while Angela did the same with her father. Patrick was assisting Jose up while trying to stop him from crying. Xanatos was brushing his suit. A crashing came through the forest before another gargoyle appeared. He looked like of a griffin, with his yellowish skin, a hawk-like beak, feathered wings and a lion-like tail. He wore a leather leotard looking piece of clothing. He ran to Merlin, helping him up before saying hello to Angela and Goliath. They talked quietly to each other before Goliath introduced Brooklyn and Broadway to the new gargoyle.

"It would have been nice if she would have let us down," Xanatos sighed as he straightened his posture. Nicole

"That is certainly not how Meave works," Merlin told them as he brushed dirt off his sleeve.

"Then tell us," Xanatos said, "How she does function. And you might as well tell us some other things too."

"I think you all deserve answers. Ask anything you wish."

"Is it true," Nicole started, "That I am not really a human, just a body with powers?"

"The first statement is true, the second...not so much. You see, when I first created Meave, I was set out on creating a body with certain appearance instead of an actual person with feelings. After Meave was created, I began to notice how inhuman she really was. She had no real conscious or emotions such as love or compassion. She was driven, yes, but with no real feelings, she had no way to distinguish what was right and wrong. I realised I was too late when she began teaching herself magic. I never intended for her to learn, because I knew she would use it for evil. When she fled, yet left some of her hair behind, I figured the only way to defeat her was to create more like her, but with emotions and feelings. Meave is technically immortal, but can age slightly in years if around mortals. How all of my creations can do this I haven't figured out yet. Her hair was used so that my newer creations could harness the element they were imbedded with and have the same drive as her, but with a sense of when to stop. You, Nicole are my fourth and final creation. You seem to be the most emotional out of the four."

"So Nicole was a normal looking child when she was younger, correct?" Xanatos asked.

"Indeed she was. With my creations, I began to experiment with age after Meave. You were to represent the childhood years of a regular human. After you were made, I realised how unfair it was for you to live as small child for the rest of your existence. With the others, I observed how they aged with humans in an almost natural way. My plan was for you to grow up naturally, and then once you hit an appropriate age-say eighteen-I would tell you everything."

"Why was I placed with...Amelia and William Kent?" Nicole asked quietly.

"I didn't want Meave finding you in such a vulnerable state, so I searched for a suitable home where you could live. I was in America when I happened upon Alford. I met your parents in their bookstore shortly after they moved to there. I stayed for a while and became good friends with them, and I must say they were very good people. When they later disclosed to me how they were trying to have a child-but could not-I knew that you would be welcome there. One night, about twenty five years ago, I brought you with me in a small basket as I went to say goodbye to the Kent's, under the guise I was moving away. They were shocked when they first saw you, but once I had explained everything, they accepted you. I saw that whenever I stopped by to check up on you that you were happy in your home. When I found that you had been blessed with a baby sister, I was happy for you and your parents."

Nicole paused before asking, "Why is it that I can remember certain memories and not others? The night...Meave came; I only remember a few instances."

Merlin sighed softly before explaining, "Whenever I came to visit, you were very intent on using your powers. I never wanted you to use your powers and then show a mortal, or have one see you. I did what I now realise was a selfish thing. I wiped your memory of all instances of you performing magic, in hope that you wouldn't know how to use it until the proper time. The funny thing was you always taught yourself again. And as for that night... I was supposed to check up on you as usual, but I had arrived after Meave. Finding your parents, I felt as though I should have come sooner, but there was nothing I could or could have done. There are no spells that can bring the dead back to life completely. After, I immediately went looking for you and your sister, only to find you in your bedroom. Your sister was asleep, but you were wide awake, as if you were waiting for me. I remember you wanted to know where your parents were. I knew that if you saw your parents in the state they were in...I couldn't allow that. I wiped your memory one last time and set a charm over you that neither you nor your sister could wake until you had left your house. I had to stop visiting you, because I knew Meave would find you through me."

"No, they are simply stored in your subconscious. I believe I am a little behind regarding the set age, but what better time than the present? Would you like your memories back?" Merlin asked as he stretched out his hands.

Nicole was nervous about what her memories held. She looked to Owen. He merely nodded, giving her the slightest smile. Turning back to Merlin, she firmly grasped his hand, closing her eyes.

It was though a dam within her mind had burst, flooding her subconscious with long forgotten memories. She saw Merlin beaming down at her the first time she opened her eyes, him carrying her to the Kent's house and waving goodbye. She was in her kitchen; throwing her peas at her father and making the other vegetables grow. In the garden, her mother groaned at how her flowers weren't blooming but Nicole ran a tiny hand over them and their colours were revealed. Her mother was sick in bed, but she perked up once she saw the orchids Nicole produced. The backyard was muddy after a rainstorm, creating the perfect conditions for a mud fight. Nicole easily won when she moulded tons of mud together and threw it at her unsuspecting father's back. When baby Abby refused to stop crying one day, Nicole made the bouquet on the table dance in front of her, turning her crying into squeals of joy.

More memories flashed in front of Nicole. By the time the final memory of that single October night—Merlin reaching down and grasping her hand under the bed—a single tear was rolling down Nicole's cheek. She let go of Merlin's hand, but felt another slide along her back and rest on her shoulder. She leaned in closer to Owen as she wiped her tear away.

"There's one more question you haven't answered," Nicole said quietly, "What about the others? Who are they and where can I find them?"

Merlin merely smirked. "I had a feeling you would ask that. There are two others like you and Meave, but one represents fire and young adult hood while the other symbolizes air and old age. As for who and where, I cannot reveal anything here. Meave may not be here, but she could still be listening."

"But where can I find them?" Nicole asked again.

"You wish to find your sisters? Whatever for?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Because the only way we can possibly defeat Meave would be together. Meave is looking for them too, correct? I can find them-"

"You mean we can," Owen corrected. Nicole turned to face him.

"I have to do this on my own," she told him, "All I need to know is where to find them."

"Nicole," Brooklyn spoke for the first time, "This is too big to take on by yourself. With Meave intent on killing you, you are like a moving target-"

"That is exactly the point! She promised that she would kill everyone I loved. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if any of you were hurt."

Merlin chuckled lightly, "You are very motherly, I must say. Always considering others before thyself is a blessing, but it may also be a curse. I agree with your friends. The mission you are about to embark on is filled with risks. Although your sisters are nothing like Meave, they still may be unstable with their powers. You are certainly going to need all the help you can get."

"I volunteer to go!" Brooklyn said eagerly before pretending to cough, "If it means a trip around the world."

"I wanna go too! Think of all the food I can try!" Broadway added.

"Hopefully the world is ready for your stomach," Brooklyn muttered under his breath.

Goliath turned to Angela before sighing, "I have been on enough world trips for a lifetime. How about you, daughter?"

"I must agree with my father, I have seen the world and its beauty." Upon seeing Broadway's saddened look, she added, "Maybe Lexington would be willing to join you."

Broadway and Brooklyn gave each other a look before high fiving.

"I cannot accompany you this time," Xanatos said, "but I can offer you access to a private jet and whatever else you desire. I am sure Owen however, would be able."

"To what, sir?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"To assist Nicole in her adventure."

"But sir, what about Xanatos Industries and yourself?" Not to mention Alexander."

"Fox and I are certainly capable with taking care of business and our son. Besides, someone as powerful as Meave could be a threat to my son. The sooner she is dealt with the better."

Owen was at a loss for words. He knew that he had duties to tend to and a reputation to uphold. Puck couldn't help but voice his opinion.

_Come on, live a little! Boss man is always saying how you should take a vacation. And when was the last time you went around the world? I doubt an opportunity like this is going to pop up again, what with you being the loyal slave you are._

_I don't need a vacation._

_You might not, but I do. I want my freedom again! Who knows, maybe we can go to the Bahamas or Tahiti. I wonder what it is like at this time of year. Can you imagine me in one of those rope hammocks, sipping out of a coconut? _

_There will be no need for you to appear, because Alexander will not be around._

_Drat! Technicalities are the pits!_

_I will here no more of this._

_Fine, just one more thing. Would it kill you to think of Nicole? She needs someone like you to be her "knight in shining armour". Think of her last boyfriend. He was a real schmuck. And you know you like her; don't deny it, because you know that I know. Besides, she is rather... cute, no?"_

"Owen?"

He looked down at Nicole. Staring up with her green eyes he almost felt as if he was looking into her thoughts, her soul, and her heart. She had experienced life altering situations and had her heart broken. She was about to embark on a dangerous quest she might not survive. Risking everything, she was willing to face Meave—with powers she never knew she had-for the people—and creatures—she loved and cared for. She needed his support and guidance. She needed him.

"I'm coming as well."

***Once making sure that all pitchforks have been placed on the ground, Riddle hands out more chapters***

**I know you may have a lot questions, so let me answer a few.**

**When I first wrote this, I considered the mysterious woman we now know as Meave to be someone like Morgan Le Fray or Nimue, if not them. But then, I thought how cliché that was and how the story might not have been able to grow. That is why I am taking the story in the direction it is going, so Nicole will have more adventures. If you have a question about what you read above, feel free to ask, I don't mind.**

**Regarding that third chapter I promised you, it may be late, because I have to do some major editing. Reassured, it will come, my faithful reader.**

**Bonne nuit ou le matin de bons partout où vous êtes, *Good night or good morning whereever you are***

**RiddleGirl7**


	12. A Chapter Ends A Journey Begins

A Chapter Ends; a Journey Begins

Staring hard at the folded rose in front of her, Nicole concentrated on making it blossom. Having bought the rose shortly after her visit to Alford a mere three days before, she was intent on testing out her powers—as Merlin advised her to do. She focused all her energy on the flower before groaning.

"Why can't you just bloom?" Nicole sighed at the rose before letting her head bang on top of the desk.

"Having trouble?"

Owen stood in the doorway of her room, his arms folded across his chest.

"Obviously."

Owen smirked, walking towards her before explaining, "You are too unfocused."

"I was completely focusing, what are you talking about?" Nicole raised her eyebrow.

"You have too many thoughts in your head. Instead of focusing at the task at hand, your mind is elsewhere, thinking of something else."

"I am just thinking about everything that has happened and what might," Nicole sighed, "You always have to be so precise, don't you."

"If I wasn't, I would be out of a job, if that is how the saying goes."

"You really enjoy playing Owen Burnett, don't you?" she asked directed towards Puck.

Owen didn't answer. He changed the subject, "Are you packed?"

"Yes, since last night. I think I have everything I need on a trip around the world. How about you? Did you pack your best tie and business suit?" Nicole teased as she went to fetch her suitcase.

"Your knowledge of me is astounding," Owen told her blankly as he followed.

Owen picked up her bag for her and caught something white in the corner of his eye. Tucked under her bed was her notebook.

"You are not taking it with you?"

"The last thing on my mind is my story. I don't know when I'll be able to finish it anyway."

A blur ran past the doorway. Alexander—wearing his pajamas and sporting very messy hair-poked his head into the room, beaming. He ran up to Nicole and lightly poked her kneecap.

"You're it!"

Alexander ran swiftly from the room with Nicole trailing behind him. Their laughter faded as they ran down the hall. Owen eyed the notebook again, bending down. He picked it up and tucked it under his arm before exiting the room and shutting off the light.

* * *

"Move your big butt, Broadway!"

"Only if you move your beak!"

"Both of you go! I'm kind of squished in the middle here!"

Goliath rolled his eyes before face palming at the trios antics. They all wanted to be the first one into the back of the carrier truck that would transport them to the airport, but it ended up with humorous, but failed results. Finally, they all collapsed into the back of the truck.

"Why do I feel like this was a bad idea?" Goliath groaned as he shut the door behind them. His daughter beside him let out a small giggle. Hudson simply shook his head as he petted Bronx. The gargoyle Nicole now knew was Griff watched the spectacle from afar, quietly chuckling to himself.

Beside the truck, Owen and Nicole were loading their bags into the trunk of a smaller vehicle. Xanatos, Alex and Merlin stood back to observe. When the door to the trunk was closed, Alexander ran to hug Nicole's legs.

"I am really going to miss you Nicole."

Bending down to hug him, she whispered, "I will too Alex, but I'll be back before you know it."

"Mr. Merlin said he could help me with my magic, so I'll have lots of new tricks to show you when you get back!"

"I can't wait," Nicole smirked.

Alex stepped back to let the gargoyles say goodbye. Griff walked up to her, outstretching his hand,

"It was a pleasure to meet you Nicole."

"Likewise," Nicole politely smiled.

"We'll miss you Nicole!" Angela hugged her, lifting her up into the air.

"I will miss you, but I would like to be on the ground now!"

Once Nicole's feet were on the pavement of the underground garage, Goliath shook her hand.

"My wish is for you to be safe on your travels."

"Thank you...hold down the fort while we're gone?" Nicole replied awkwardly.

Goliath let out a booming laugh. Bronx nuzzled Nicole's hand.

"Oh, I will miss you big guy," she told him as she petted him. He rolled onto his back, much to Nicole's amusement. As she and Alexander scratched his belly, Owen stood back to observe. Hudson came up beside him.

"If my memory serves me right," Hudson spoke low enough so only Owen could hear, "You watched the same occurrence a short time ago. Do yea remember?"

"I do. Why do you bring it up?"

Hudson paused before saying, "Take care of the lass. She's special that one, I can see that she is to you."

Before Owen could reply, Goliath ordered that the five remaining gargoyles to head for the castle above. They all left for one of the two elevators that would take them up to the castle. Stepping inside, they waved goodbye for one last time before the doors closed. Two seconds later, the second pair of doors opened to reveal Fox and the truck driver.

"Thank you again for showing me that car collection of yours," the driver said to Fox.

"No problem. My husband treats goodbyes rather...personally. No strangers around and such."

"Say no more." The driver climbed into the driver's seat, "Ready when you are!"

Xanatos shook Nicole's hand.

"Everything has been arranged," he simply told her, which brought a smile to her face.

Fox quickly hugged Nicole, "Be safe."

"I aim to please."

Fox shook Owen's hand, giving him a stern look.

"Behave. You know what I mean."

"I shall be on my very best behaviour," Owen told her plainly.

Merlin stood in front of Nicole holding a folded parchment in his hand. The paper was brown and torn around the edges.

"Do not open this until you are in the air. This will lead you to where you need to go," he whispered to her.

She nodded as Owen opened the door. She climbed inside, securing her seatbelt as Owen slid into the driver's seat. He started up the car and drove out of the garage, with the loading truck right behind. Nicole waved to the Xanatos's and Merlin one last time before they disappeared from view, with Alexander waving most feverously.

* * *

"Nicole?"

Owen looked behind him just in time to see a blur run into Nicole, nearly knocking her over. Owen dropped the bags and nearly attacked the perpetrator, but stopped himself in time to assess the situation.

A woman was now hugging Nicole in a one arm embrace. Her black hair had snapped out of its ponytail—found on the ground beside Owen's foot—falling out into fine curls. She was wearing a blue blouse, black dress pants and matching shoes. When she stopped beaming and opened her eyes, they were a light violet.

"Abby?" Nicole said in a strained voice. Abby let go of her sister only to grab her shoulders.

"What are you doing here? You didn't come to see me did you? I know I'm a couple of days ahead-Tibet was awesome by the way-but I was just anxious to be home! Speaking of home, where are you living now? Please tell me you didn't get back with Trevor, he is so not for you! I mean yes I did introduce you guys at the one Grad party, but he seemed like such a good guy back then. Now he is just a loser, right? What's with the bags? Are you going on a trip? Who's that guy? Is he with you? Is he your boyfriend? Or is one of those friends with benefits-"

"Abby," Nicole finally interrupted calmly, "It's good to see you. As for your questions, yes I am going on a trip but I don't know for how long, no I am not back with Trevor, yes he is a loser, and I was living temporarily with Mr. David Xanatos and his family. Owen is his assistant and no he is not my boyfriend or otherwise."

"Oh, that's good," Abby said in a remarkably even voice. Owen-still experiencing the aftershock of the whole ordeal-remained silent.

"Listen, I hate to leave you, but I have to get going. But as soon as I get back, I will explain everything."

"Everything?" Abby raised an eyebrow.

"Everything."

Abby squealed—much to Owen's surprise—and hugged Nicole again. Owen could not hear what Abby said next, due to Abby's rapid talking, but she was walking away with her bag toward the arrival gate before calling,

"And take lots of pictures!"

When she was out of view, Nicole picked up the bags, handing the motionless Owen his own bag.

"That was my sister. Your reaction is pretty normal, trust me. I'm grabbing a Coke from the machine? Do you want anything?"

Owen simply stared at her.

"I'll just get you a Sprite then..."

Owen walked quietly after her; taking the Sprite when it was handed to him.

"Your sister is very... high-strung," Owen finally said.

"Tell me about it. Our foster parents were always at their wits end with her. They were nice, but my sister and I never got really close to them," Nicole said absentmindedly. "We should get going. The gargoyles will probably be on the plane by now."

She left towards the terminal, carrying her bag and occasionally taking sips from her Coke. Owen rushed after her, passing a bar. An intoxicated man was calling for a Sprite and rum. When the man looked back to find only a Sprite, he called out,

"Who drank my rum?"

* * *

"If I die in the next two minutes, I will die a happy woman."

"I do advise you to refrain from joking about subjects so morbid."

"Key word is joking, Goodfellow."

Nicole was sitting in one of the luxuriously comfy chairs on the Xanatos's new jet plane. Owen stood in the cockpit, checking over a few last minute procedures before takeoff. Nicole looked out onto the runway as the sun finally arose over the horizon. She spied Lexington—in his stone form—being loaded into the cargo hold after Brooklyn and Broadway. The crew men shared a look of bewilderment regarding the 'precious' cargo. Nicole couldn't help but smile.

"We are almost ready for takeoff," Owen reported, sitting down in the pilot's seat.

"Sounds good, Robin," Nicole saluted playfully.

"Would you please refrain from saying that?" Owen requested in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Sorry," Nicole said sheepishly.

Owen grumbled until he quickly glanced behind him. Nicole was looking out the window, watching the sun. Sunlight shone against her hair, giving it a light glow. The green tee-shirt and black track pants she was wearing gave her the mobility to change her position during flight. Owen noticed that even though she had a calm demeanour, her eyes showed worry. He turned forward again sighing. Taking the controls, he prepared for takeoff.

Nicole stared towards the rising sun, thinking about many things all that once. The most recent being what David Xanatos has said to her. The thought made her cheerier, for she knew what had been arranged. The only thing she didn't like was how she wouldn't be able to see the outcomes.

* * *

A yellow and black taxi pulled up towards a large house in the suburbs. The tree in the front yard was blooming with flowers; their petals falling gracefully onto the grass. A tall man exited the taxi, bringing with him a large bag filled with his worldly possessions. The cab drove away, leaving the man to stare up at his new home. He eventually made his way up the path the front door. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key and shoved it into the doorknob. He slowly opened the door, only to be invited with savoury aromas. Puzzled at first, he opened the door wider to find somebody was waiting on the other side.

A large set woman with greying red hair and freckles stood smiling at him. He dropped his bag.

"Mum?" Patrick asked in amazement and shock.

"Oh, Patrick, come here!" his mother waved to him, no longer able to hold back her tears. He ran to her, giving her a huge, tight hug. Running from the stairs behind him made him look up. Standing on the stairs were his three younger sisters, Katherine, age twenty, Cara, age sixteen and Mary, age twelve. Together, they ran down and hugged their big brother. All were in tears as they held each other.

"How...Who?" Patrick asked.

His mother reached into the pocket of her apron to produce a letter addressed to him. Taking it from her and opening it, he began to read,

_Dearest Patrick,_

_I know how you were merely a pawn in Meave's plan so I cannot blame you for what you did. What she also did for your family was unforgiveable. You should not have been treated that way. Because you were so kind to me, even when I was kidnapped, I want to repay you. I am not charging you or Jose for your crime, so you are hereby a free man. Jose told me about your family, so Mr. Xanatos arranged for them to move to the United States. When we contacted them, they were actually preparing to come on their own. I am also pleased to tell you that not only has the mortgage on your house been paid for (thanks to Mr. Xanatos) but he has also arranged for you to have a job at the shipping yard he owns as a manager (Which means a raise!) I wish you and your family many happy memories and good times and I hope to see you again._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Nicole Kent _

Patrick stared at the letter as he wiped a tear from his eye. His family hugged him as they lead him to the kitchen, where his mothers cooking was waiting.

* * *

The door of a taxi slammed before speeding off, leaving Jose outside Central Park. He stared down at the envelope in his hand which- on the outside—had directions to this location, as well as instructions not to open the letter until he reached the destination.

Jose walked through the gates, noticing there were few visitors in the park early in the morning. He followed the directions until he saw a marker beside a sapling tree. He walked cautiously to it before he could read it.

**In memory of Alicia Hernandez-Bermejo**

**Born: October 15****th**** 1967 Died: June 11****th**** 1989**

**Beloved Daughter, Sister, Friend and Fiancée**

**She is in our hearts**

**Forever and Always**

Jose dropped to his knees as he reread the stone. He stared at it for quite some time before he remembered the letter in his hand. He ripped it open and read it over,

_Dearest Jose,_

_I would first like to say that I am sorry for your loss. What happened to Alicia was tragic and unfortunate. My condolences. Secondly, I assure you that there is no grave; this is simply a sapling in her name. The tree is an oak tree (I wanted to plant an olive tree, since they are common in Spain, but New York is too cold for them). As for the saying, let's just say it felt right. You may be wondering why I did this. While you were working for Meave, you were nothing but civil around me-which I am grateful for-and after everything you have been though, I felt that this would be the most appropriate. I also included the number for an Alcoholics Anonymous on the back of this letter. I am not forcing you to call it, but what you are doing to yourself is not healthy and I wish for you to be well. I do care about you Jose and I am with you in spirit._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Nicole Kent aka Paco_

Tears were gently sliding down Jose's face, but for the first time in years, they were tears of happiness. He held the letter tight so the wind would not carry away such kind words and the phone number he intended on calling. Jose looked down at the slate before looking up at the sky. After so many years of pain and sadness, he was glad to finally have a moment of peace.

* * *

((A.N. I just had to insert this at some point before the next part. Pierre and Jose will not appear for a while, but will appear before the end of the story))

* * *

Once the seatbelt sign had turned off, Nicole reached into her bag and retrieved Merlin's parchment. She unfolded it carefully, trying her hardest not to tear the edges. When it was laid out on her lap, she looked down onto the blank page.

"Blank? How can it be blank?"

Nicole looked on the back to see if there were instructions—there wasn't. Owen, seeing her distress, switched to autopilot and walked to her.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"The map Merlin gave me is blank!"

Owen glanced at the parchment. "You do realise it is not an ordinary piece of paper."

"It isn't?"

"No. I doubt Merlin would allow the map to be so easily read. It must be charmed somehow."

"So, what you're saying is, I have to say some sort of incantation?"

"Perhaps. It is not always that simple. Sometimes, it is an incantation, other times, it could be a dance, or saying it in a specific place, or perhaps the spilling of blood-"

"That last one is a last resort."

"Of course."

Nicole stared down at the sheet, thinking.

"Did Merlin mention something about how to activate it?" Owen prompted.

"No. He only told me to open it when we were in the air, but otherwise nothing. And he may have only told me that to make sure there was no chance of Meave re"

Nicole bent forward, staring at the map. She sighed, "I don't know how to-"

"Nicole, watch."

A single dot appeared directly in the centre of the map. A line came out of the circle, spiralling around it; branching and expanding until it covered the entire paper. The lines seemed to fade into the paper, revealing a map of the world. There were no countries or borders on the map, just lines of the land masses and a few scribbles to represent the oceans. But, after a few seconds, a dot appeared in the Eastern part of the map.

"It's...over northern Japan," Nicole realised.

A tiny scroll over the point formed, followed by neat handwriting.

"A—Amaya?"

Owen turned and left for the cockpit. "It seems as though we will be headed for Japan," he called back to her.

"Yes," she agreed; looking out the window, "We are."

**Oh, hi guys...did you miss me?**

***ducks as pitchforks, torches and other painfully sharp objects fly overhead***

**I know it has been a few months...okay, four. I had this chapter half done, but with school, and a lack of inspiration, I kinda put it on the back burner. I also don't have a space bar. A SPACE BARS GUYS! Anyway, I decided to finish this one and I should hopefully get the next one started. This seems like a good place to stop for the time being. I still need to make sure my plot, from now on, will make sense (I honestly BS this, I don't write anything down, I just remember or look back at chapters for specific facts), and such. Hopefully I won't go months without an update, but like I've said, don't expect one every week.**

**I do like where this story will be eventually(and hopefully) going. And yes, Jose and Patrick will not be appearing for a while. I wanted them to go along for the trip, but I thought that would bring on complications and would take the story in a different direction. You will see them again, just not for a while.**

**Here's hoping you guys put down the pitchforks,**

**~Riddle.**


	13. Night Rain

Night Rain

The flight to Japan from New York was surprisingly shorter than expected. The jet arrived at the Sendai International Airport by nightfall. After unloading the plane and going through Customs, Owen led Nicole outside a moving truck with three unlocked crates inside. She climbed up into the truck before Owen. Looking back, she received a thumb up from Lexington from a small window behind the seat; as Brooklyn was assisting Broadway out of his crate. Owen slammed the door beside him, turned on the engine and drove away. The car ride was silent, with the only exchange being when Nicole gave Owen directions as she looked down at the map. The group travelled west along the highway at first, but they turned off to a smaller road for several hours before the pavement transitioned to dirt.

The boys stayed relatively quiet in the back of the truck. They amused themselves by playing games or watching the cities and towns they drove by via window. Lexington would comment on the neon signs every so often; hoping to be able to figure out how it shined, Broadway on the food advertisements and Brooklyn simply to ask what the sign ahead read.

"What does that say, coming up ahead?"

"It is just a list of small towns and villages. What did you say before Nicole?"

"I said that the village we are looking for should be the next right. We should follow that for another...fifteen minutes I believe before we come to the base of the mountain."

Owen nodded. He turned when there was a fork in the road but as he did, a loud squeal came from the engine. The truck slowed down to a complete stop forty feet from the turn off.

"What was that?" Nicole asked bewildered.

"I'm not sure...I will check it out. Please stay here for now."

"I'm pretty sure there is no axe wielding mad man around here."

"May I ask if you are familiar with any Japanese folklore?"

"No. Why?"

"Let's just say...there are a number of things that go bump in the night."

Nicole rolled her eyes but remained still. Owen dug into the glove compartment to find a flashlight. Leaving the truck, he lifted up the hood to look inside.

From inside the truck, Lexington asked,

"What's wrong? Why have we stopped?"

"The engine made a loud sound and the truck just stopped. Owen left to see what the problem was."

"Let me out Nicole! I can fix it!" Lexington exclaimed.

Nicole was about to say something, but something in the rear-view mirror caught her eye. Coming from the fork in the road, a small vehicle was driving closer.

"You guys hang tight and keep quiet."

Nicole inched herself closer to the window to see what was going on. A beaten up blue Lexus had pulled over to the side of the road. The car was shut off and a short, skinny man climbed out. His hair was short and cut, but his clothes consisted of a white shirt with a stain and a pair of black slacks. The glasses he wore were small, yet they made his grey eyes look sharp, yet friendly. He waved to Owen and asked something to him. Owen replied to him, gesturing to the engine, to Nicole, and then to himself. The man nodded and came over to Owen, looking inside the vehicle. Another exchange of words followed, with the man pointing up the road and towards the truck. Eventually, Owen nodded. He shut the hood and walked to the driver's side door.

"I can't seem to find the problem and I don't want to look with it being this dark out. The man's name is Kunio Nakamura and he lives in the village we are looking for. He told me that we are welcome to get a ride with him to the village and stay with his family for tonight. He has a son...Toshi I believe, who knows a lot about vehicles. Mr. Nakamura offered for his son to take a look tomorrow morning."

"What about the trio?"

"Leave that to me."

Owen yelled something to Kunio, who walked towards the truck. Kunio bowed his head forward slightly; he spoke slowly in English,

"Mr. Burnerett told me you both are American. I speak to you in English, yes?"

"Okay," Nicole replied, smiling gently at Kunio's attempt at English and secretly laughed at the mispronunciation of Owen's name.

"I will grab the bags from the bag of the truck and lock up," Owen explained. Nicole noticed that even though his voice was neutral, his eyes gave away his plan. Nicole understood and climbed out of the vehicle, holding the map tightly. Kunio ran to his car are popped open the truck. Nicole heard the distinct rustle of leaves on the otherside of the truck before she heard wings flapping. Mr. Nakamura did not seem to notice. A moment later, the truck door slammed and Owen came around with their luggage. Mr. Nakamura helped Owen load the bags inside the truck before he opened the car doors for them both. Owen climbed into the front seat with Nicole in the back. Kunio started the engine and drove down the road, going at much faster speeds than before.

For the duration of the ride, Kunio and Owen spoke in rapid Japanese. Nicole, not understanding a word, sat back quietly and observed what she could out the window. The moon had disappeared behind some clouds hours ago, leaving the forest landscape dark. She could she the slight outline of the mountains, but could see nothing else. After a few minutes, Nicole could see lights off in the distance which were revealed to be coming from a number of houses clustered together. The village looked fairly large, but it could not be confirmed due to the lack of light.

Nakamura drove up the road until he reached a small house built on a hill. The house was one story with a green roof and large windows. A single cherry blossom seedling was planted in the yard. Nakamura drove up the small road to the house and parked outside. Owen helped Nicole out while Kunio retrieved their bags. Kunio lead them to the door and was about to slide it open, but it seemed to do it on its own. In actuality, a tall, curvy woman stood in the doorway.

The woman had long hair that reached to her mid back, tied in a braid. She folded her arms across her green nightdress with a faint cherry blossom stitched over her heart. Her large brown eyes were glaring at Kunio as she pursued her lips.

She spoke calmly with a hint of anger lying underneath. Kunio stuttered in response, which spiked her to angrily retaliate. Kunio motioned to Owen and Nicole behind him before he explained further. Her expression relaxed before she glanced at the two.

"You are American?" she asked in a better accent then her husband's.

"Yes," Owen replied back in English.

"And you are looking for someone?"

"That is correct."

"Well, there is no point in doing that now, it is far too late. Please, come inside and make yourselves comfortable." She moved aside as Owen led Nicole inside. Owen took off his shoes at the front door, which prompted Nicole to follow his lead. Once her shoes were placed aside, Nicole looked at their surroundings. The house had a basic structure to it. Two chairs and a small loveseat were placed in front of a very tiny television, complete with bunny ear antenna, to their right. Across from them was a small kitchen with a wood burning fireplace. A table with a set of four chairs was beside that. A hallway was left of the kitchen, were presumably the bedrooms were.

"You have a lovely home," Nicole told the woman.

"Thank you. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Makoto, Kunio's wife."

"It is an honour, Makoto," Owen greeted her, bowing slightly. "My name is Owen Burnett, and this is Nicole Kent."

"Hello, Makoto," Nicole greeted by following Owen's example.

Kunio set the bags down and closed the door behind him. Makoto's expression turned from humble to annoyance. She spoke again in Japanese, this time in a snappish tone.

Kunio replied as if he were saying alright.

"Will you sit down?" Kunio asked Owen and Nicole in turn, motioning to the "living room". Owen chose to stand, but Nicole sat down in one of the chairs. Kunio sat on the other chair, while Makoto went to the kitchen to put on a cup of tea. Owen told her something in Japanese. She nodded politely and came back to the living room, sitting down on one end of the love seat.

"We apologise for our inconvenience," Owen began.

"No, no, it is no trouble," Makoto assured him, "Our home is always welcome to those in need. My husband has told me about your car troubles. Our son, Toshi, he is good with cars. He will look at your moving truck tomorrow."

"We would appreciate that."

"Now, you told me," Kunio spoke slowly, "That you were looking for someone within the village, okay?"

"Yes," Nicole answered, "We are looking for someone named Amaya".

The looks on the Nakamuras were that of surprise and curiosity.

"Why do you want to see Obaasan?" Kunio asked.

"She is your grandmother?"

"No, she is good grandmother to every child in village. She nice, but strict."

"Obaasan is a very wise and strong woman who loves the children of the village," Makoto explained in greater detail, "The children adore her. She is a tad strict, but that is expectant of her, considering her years."

"I would hate to sound rude, but how old is...Obaasan?" Nicole asked, pausing to annunciate the last word.

The Nakamura's looked puzzled more than offended.

"She live here long time," Kunio explained, "Before I was born."

"It is uncertain how old she actually is. No one has ever asked her and I doubt she would tell if you did," Makoto answered.

"Thank you Mrs. Nakamura," Owen said, "I believe that now is an appropriate time to go to bed. All other discussions should be left till morning, don't you think?"

"That sounds like a good plan," Kunio agreed.

"I am sorry, but we only have one guest bedroom," Makoto informed them.

"If it is alright with you, I would prefer to sleep on the couch and let Nicole take the guest room," Owen offered.

"Is this okay, Miss Kent?" Kunio asked.

"Fine by me," Nicole answered.

"I will show you," Makoto motioned down the hallway.

Nicole took her bag and followed the hostess. They passed two doors, side by side.

"These are our children's rooms. Our son Toshi is sixteen and we have a daughter, Haruko, who is twelve," Makoto told her.

Nicole smiled gently as Makoto opened the door across from Haruko's. The guest room was simple, with a single bed close to the floor, a drawer, a closet and a large window.

"I hope this is satisfactory. We do not use this room too often."

"This is excellent, thank you."

Makoto bowed before shutting the door. Nicole sat down at the edge of the bed, discarding her suitcase beside her. She opened it to look for her pajamas, but could not find them.

"I wonder where I placed them."

After two minutes, every article of clothing she had brought was either in the suitcase or around her. She was holding what appeared to be a black, thin strapped nightgown that was cut off just below her knees.

"Why do I have a feeling Fox is behind this?" she sighed. Placing everything back in her bag and changing into the only article she had for sleeping, she had just put it on when she heard knocking on the door.

"Nicole?"

Smirking, she opened the door to find the major-domo outside. However, her smirk was replaced by a shy line on her face when she saw he had no shirt.

"Nicole, I was wondering if..."

Nicole glanced down at her gown to see that the neckline was lower than expected. She leaned against the doorway to block Owen's view.

"Um...F-Fox has out done herself this time...perhaps Makoto has a spare gown for you..."

"I'm okay tonight, but...uh...yeah, that'd be great. Now what did you want to know?"

"Um...I honestly forget. Nothing that can't wait till morning. Good night," he told her rapidly before making his way back to the living room. Nicole shut the door and stood there for a few moments.

"...I hope Makoto has a really long winter gown."

* * *

Nicole was woken up the next morning by sounds coming from the kitchen and the sunlight seeping into her room. She stretched, rising from her bed in order to go get dressed. She decided upon a gray tee shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. Sliding open her door she found a short girl was closing hers. She had black hair cut to her shoulders and was wearing a black skirt and white tee-shirt. When she turned around, she had brown eyes behind a pair of brown glasses. Her bangs were long, just grazing the tops of the lenses.

The girl looked shocked to see a stranger in her home, but she bowed nervously nonetheless.

"Haruko!" Makoto called from the kitchen.

"Okasan o kuru!*" Haruko replied back, dashing down the hall. Nicole followed after her to find Makoto was in front of the wood stove, frying what appeared to be rice and noodles. Makoto was wearing a long black pencil skirt and a blue blouse. Haruko asked something to her mother, motioning to Nicole. Makoto explained to her before motioning to a chair. Haruko sat down.

"Good morning Nicole!" Makoto greeted as she began pilling noodles into three bowls. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did thank you."

Makoto looked to her daughter, "This is Haruko. This is Miss Nicole Kent."

"Hello Miss Kent," Haruko said shyly.

"It's nice to meet you," Nicole greeted. Sniffing the air she asked, "What's for breakfast?"

Haruko looked at her funny while Makoto chuckled lightly.

"It is after noon. Mr. Burnett has told us that you might be suffering from jet lag, so we thought it would be best to let you sleep in."

"Oh..."

"My husband, Toshi and Mr. Burnett have gone to fix your truck. They should be back at any moment."

Nicole sat down opposite of Haruko, taking a bowl and chopsticks from Makoto. She was half way done when she heard two cars pull up by the house. A minute later, Owen, Kunio and a tall teenager walked inside. The boy had his hair styled long, with a piece over his left grey eye. He wore a brown, wrinkled tee shirt and a pair of oil stained jeans and black sneakers. He grinned at Nicole when he saw her.

Kunio pointed to the boy, "Nicole, this is my son, Toshi. He was able to fix the truck for you."

"Yeah," Toshi explained in slow English like his fathers, rubbing the back of his head, "A screw was loose somewhere, but we got it tightened."

Makoto yelled from the kitchen, "Toshi wa, no imoto de bakkuauto kara yori oku no mkai o eru ga dekimasu ka?*"

Toshi yelled back, "Shikashi, watashi was kufuku no hahadesu!*"

"Anata wa tabemono o-go ni hyoji sa remasu. Ima suguiku!*"

Toshi sighed before he dragged his feet towards the back door in the kitchen. Haruko silently stood up, bowing to the adults before running after her brother.

"Please sit down. I know Toshi will be busy for a while, considering the wood box is nearly empty," Makoto told them as she dished out two more bowls. Kunio sat in Haruko's chair and Owen on Nicole's right.

"So why do you with to see Obaasan?" Kunio asked as his wife placed a bowl in front of him.

"Because we have some business to discuss with her," Owen replied, thanking Makoto for the bowl.

"If is about obtaining her property, you won't be getting anywhere near that place," Makoto told him, sitting down.

"Why is that?"

"Because there have been a few brave men who have tried to get her to sell. They are always driven off the mountain. Obaasan will not give up her home."

"She lives up on the mountain?" Nicole asked.

"Yes, she is about a forty five minute walk up the mountain," Makoto said, taking her chopsticks and scooping up a few noodles.

"We have no intention of buying Amaya out, but what else can you tell us about her?" Owen asked politely.

"Like I say, she live on mountain before I was born," Kunio replied, "She came into town a lot for years, always giving us children sweets. She even teach us English. But she stay up on mountain for years at a time too, rarely came to village sometimes. Not a lot of people go up mountain either, unless it important."

"Obaasan has been very good to us. When I was pregnant with Haruko, she managed to walk down the mountain in order to help us when the roads were blocked due to floods. She did not come down again for another five years afterwards."

"Do you know why she chooses to isolate herself?" Owen wondered.

"She has always told us that she requires her peace and that she enjoys it on the mountain."

"What peace? She has kids running around," Kunio scoffed.

"Kids?"

"Yes, Obaasan's home is always welcome to those who need it," Makoto explained, "She adopted a baby boy about fourteen years ago when it was abandoned. Otherwise, other children are welcome to visit if they wish to make the climb."

"She sounds like a lovely person," Nicole commented.

"Yes, she is very nice," Kunio beamed.

The rest of the conversation died down from there. After helping clean up, Owen and Nicole retreated to her bedroom to discuss what they had been told.

"Her isolation from the village for years on end supports what Merlin told us about the rate of growth," Owen remarked as he paced.

"And Merlin told us that he reached for the element of wind found up upon the highest mountain. Could that be her element?" Nicole wondered from her bed.

"Possibly. What worries me is that fact that she is caring for a child."

"What's wrong with that?"

"If we are truly going to offer her a change to join us, the boy could present a handful."

"We can worry about that when we ask her."

From down the hall, Makoto and Kunio were talking to one another.

"I wish I could understand what they were saying," Nicole sighed.

"Maybe Puck can give you a hand."

"What-?"

Before Nicole could finish, Puck stood in front of her, beaming.

"I thought you explained to me that Puck could not appear unless Alexander was involved," Nicole raised her eyebrow.

"I thought so too. Last night I was lying awake when I thought about if I could become my true self again. Next thing you know, bam, I'm Puck. It was a good thing that the Nakamura's were in bed, or things would have been awkward. Anyway, I'd rather not dwell on it. I quite enjoy being myself for a while. Now, onto that spell."

He placed his hands over her ears, smirking slightly,

"_Riddles and tongues are misunderstood,_

_By foreign ears of distant lands,_

_Give this girl, ears that would,_

_Make her hear what she demands,"_

Puck slowly removed his hands and Nicole listened. The words that were once unfamiliar to her now sounded as if she were listening as a native speaker.

"**Toshi, do not speak with your mouth open."**

"**Sorry mother. When are you going to take them up the mountain, Father?"**

"**Hopefully soon. I want to make sure they are rested first."**

"**May I come along?" **Toshi asked eagerly.

"**Me too!" **Haruko exclaimed.

"**No, you too stay here with your mother. Haruko, you have homework to complete. And I know you only wish to join us for in order to see that Misaki Takaki".**

"**I do not understand why you fancy that girl, Toshi. If the rumours are true about her..."**

"**Be quiet, Haruko!" **Toshi whispered harshly to his sister,** "Just because she spends a lot of time in the city with her father, does not mean anything."**

"**What about the amount of men who visit her when she comes to stay here hmm?" Kunio argued, "Poor Sakura had to chase a grown man away from her home with nothing but a broom when he came asking for her daughter."**

"**I will hear nothing more of this. I am going outside for a while," **Toshi hissed before the slamming of a door could be heard.

"Wow, too much information," Nicole breathed.

"Quite."

Owen was standing in Puck's place. "I apologise for that, I did not realise the conversation would take such a...drastic turn."

Knocking came from the door. Owen opened it to reveal Kunio, who looked worn out.

"We leave now if you want. You packed, yes?"

"Yes, all we need has been packed," Owen replied, motioning to Nicole's and his luggage, placed side by side.

"Good, good. You say goodbye if you wish."

Owen took the bags and led the way out. Makoto was standing in front of the door, waiting with Haruko.

"It has been an honour to be in your home," Owen told them as he bowed. Nicole followed by his example. Makoto held out a folded kimono for Nicole.

"Mr. Burnett asked if I had a spare kimono for you to dress in. I hope this is what you were looking for." Nicole thanked her as she placed it in one of the pockets outside her bag. "You will visit us when you are done your business, won't you?" Makoto asked, resting her hand on Haruko's shoulder.

"Of course, we can try," Nicole answered, smiling. Haruko nodded shyly while Makoto tried her best to smile. Nicole could see the pain in her eyes that her smile failed to hide. Nicole gave her a slightly awkward, sympathetic smile before she followed Owen outside. Owen was walking towards the vehicle when Kunio stopped him.

"I am sorry, but you will have to leave truck. The path we walk is too small and winding for cars."

Owen nodded, but Nicole could tell that he was trying to hide his annoyance about having to carry the bags up half a mountain.

"Do you want me to take one?" Nicole whispered to him.

"No thank you. I am fine."

Nicole shrugged as Kunio led them around behind his home into the back yard. The yard had a small, two foot fence that separated the forest from the yard, which considered mostly of the hill. What caught Nicole's attention, however, was the giant, thirty foot cherry blossom tree at the bottom of the hill. The flowers were in bloom, making the tree look delicate and beautiful. The wind would knock a few blooms off the tree, causing them to dance gracefully, yet quickly down.

"You like tree, yes?"

"It is magnificent," Nicole breathed out softly.

"Cherry blossom tree been here long time. As long as Obaasan. She planted tree in front yard when Haruko was born."

Nicole marvelled at the sight of the tree, while Owen smiled softly at her. When she turned around, Owen was already following Kunio past the fence and along a small path. The path met with a wider path, enough for two people to walk side by side.

"Kunio," Owen said, "You seem deep in thought, care to explain?"

Kunio sighed, "It is hard raising a teenager that is all. And I was late last night because I was helping a friend. He is sick. Makoto, she don't like him because he drinks."

"Your wife did not seem too mad afterwards," Owen pointed out.

"Yes, that is why she my wife. She is good person. She put up with me."

"You can't mean that Kunio," Nicole told him.

"But I do. Makoto came from better family than mine. She could marry anyone she want, but she chose me. We love each other, so we ran away together. We fight, but that no matter. She is smart, beautiful, kind, and much better at saying English. I will always love her."

"That sounds wonderful," Nicole said as she smiled at the ground. Owen raised his eyebrow, giving the slightest of grins at Kunio's direction.

The rest of the walk was quiet after that. As they walked, Nicole was able to see the village get smaller and smaller as they walked. The landscape around them also changed, with there being fewer trees higher up. Kunio walked up the path where there were two boulders on either side.

"We almost there. Just past two rocks."

After squeezing themselves between the boulders, Nicole and Owen found themselves looking at large rock formation. The rock looked as though half of it had been cut open and it's ends curved forward. Inside the rock, a tall house stood strong in the centre, surrounded by trees and flowers. The house wa a cream colour, with a blue shingled roof. Vines covered the exterior of the home. The trio walked up the path to the front door.

"Obaasan?" Kunio called out, "Are you here?"

The door opened to reveal not the woman they were looking for, but a boy who looked only slightly younger than Toshi. He was of medium height, with long black hair, pale brown eyes and small lips. His arms were muscular under his red shirt. He wore simple brown pants and no shoes. He looked at the trio in surprise.

"**What do you want?" **the boy asked, his grip on the door tightened.

"**We are here to see Obaasan. There are people here who wish to speak to her."**

"**If they are more realtors..."**

"**No, they simply wish to speak to Obaasan. Where is she?"**

"**Out back. It is best if you don't disturb her. She is probably doing Tai Chi. She'll ring the gong when she's-"**

From behind the house, the sound of a small gong was heard.

"**Done."**

The boy sighed as he stepped off the porch and led them around back. The yard was filled with bushes, flowers and several trees. A garden grew filled with vegetables where it was sunny. A great cherry blossom tree was in bloom at the centre of the yard, where a woman was standing underneath.

The woman was standing with her hands in prayer. Her eyes were closed; her face calm. She did not look very old, but crow's feet had begun to form around her eyes. Her silver hair was long, blowing in the wind. She wore a traditional, blue Japanese kimono, with a gold band around her midsection. She too wore no shoes. The boy walked towards her, bowing when he was in front of her.

"**Obaasan, we have visitors."**

The woman opened her eyes. Nicole was shocked to see such a pair of pale blue eyes with a trim of gold around the pupil. The woman looked towards the trio, before beaming.

"**Kunio, long time no see? How is your family?"**

"**Blessed and well, thank you Obaasan. I am sorry, but I am simply here to introduce you to Mr. Owen Burnett and Miss Nicole Kent. They wish to visit you."**

"**They look foreign. Are they American?"**

"**Yes."**

"I guess it is more polite if I speak in English than, seeing as you probably don't understand what the heck we are talking about."

"It is an honour," Owen bowed, followed by Nicole, "And on the contrary, I am fluent in eleven languages, including Japanese, and Miss Kent can hear and understand Japanese, but cannot speak it."

"What kind of listener can't speak the language? No matter, never mind. You've met Shou I see," she motioned to the boy.

"Quite."

"Well why don't I put on a spot of tea, and we can talk about whatever you came to see me about." Amaya walked toward the house gracefully standing tall. Shou walked between her and the group, looking uncertainly behind him every so often. When they reached the back door, Amaya threw open the door and strolled inside. Nicole, following behind everyone, had to step over a piece of wood in the doorway, but when she looked up, she was amazed at the site that beheld her.

The house inside was, to put it simply, not a single unit, but was made up of many elements. The furniture inside the kitchen was mixed and matched, ranging from a simple wooden chair, to a grand green, throne like chair around a round wood table. A wood stove was heated, cooking a stew and boiling water in a kettle. Glass cupboards revealed an enormous amount of glass jars inside, their contents unknown and fascinating. The walls were painted a deep green, with the walls donning several photographs and ancient paintings and calligraphy. Amaya reached up into one of the cupboards and pulled out two tea bags. Tossing them into the kettle she motioned for them to sit down in one of the many chairs.

"**No thank you Obaasan," **Kunio declined, "**I must really be getting home. I have a friend I have to take care of."**

"**Oh, what a shame. What kind of sickness?"**

"**A high fever, sore throat, headaches."**

"**I could just have something for that."**

Reaching again up into the cupboards, she pulled down a canister with the label, Honey Tarts. Her hand disappeared inside to pull out another tea bag.

"**Place this in a lukewarm tea for about five minutes. Take it out immediately after and give it to your friend. No need to stir and he must drink all of it. Do come again soon, I miss seeing your face around here."**

"**Thank you so much Obaasan and I definitely will." **He turned and bowed to Nicole and Owen. "This is where we say goodbye for now."

"Goodbye Kunio," the major-domo and the writer said in unison. Kunio left out the back door and around the front of the house. Shou had brought the tea off the stove and fetched four cups. He was pouring and handing them up when Amaya asked,

"Now why do you wish to make such a long journey from where you come from, just to visit an old grandmother?"

"Because we have a proposition for you," Owen explained, "We...would it be possible to talk alone?"

"Anything I need to hear can be discussed in front of Shou. He is nearly an adult. No secrets are kept from each other."

"Very well. Miss...?"

"I do not have a last name. Call me Amaya."

"Amaya... we are here to offer you a proposal, for the good of mankind."

"Mankind?" Amaya let out a chuckle, "What on earth is threatening mankind that you require my assistance?"

"Not from what, but rather from whom. Does the name Meave mean anything to you?" Amaya glared at him suspiciously but said nothing. "We are fully aware of who, or rather if I may be so bold, what you are."

"And what do you think I am?" Amaya asked, raising an eyebrow, sipping her tea.

"Well, we have reasons to believe you are not actually human, but rather... an immortal being created by Merlin of Camelot with the powers to bend the element of air," Owen stated without taking a single breath.

Amaya stared at him blankly in silence. Seconds passed. She closed her eyes and a smirk formed. She raised her hand from the table, letting it hang above a small tee spoon. Nicole watched as Amaya moved her hand in a circular motion. Wind currents began to form around the spoon, turning it in the same motion as her hand. Slowly, the spoon rose up towards her waiting palm, where she griped it firmly. Everyone sat still.

"I knew you both would be coming here eventually." she said slyly, sipping the rest of her tea.

* * *

**Merry Christmas you guys! Inspiration was nice enough to grace me this holiday season, so I wrote a chapter. The Japanese could be wrong since I only have access to Google Translate, but here's the jest of it,**

Okasan o kuru!- **Coming Mother!**

Toshi wa, no imoto de bakkuauto kara yori oku no mkai o eru ga dekimasu ka?*"- **Toshi, could you go out and get more firewood with your sister?**

"Shikashi, watashi was kufuku no hahadesu!*"- **But Mother, I am hungry!**

"Anata wa tabemono o-go ni hyoji sa remasu. Ima suguiku!*"- **You will get lunch after you are done. Now go!**

**The Japanese translated through Nicole's ears is in bold to show a difference. All other speaking parts are not dialogue, for yours and mine's pleasure. I enjoyed this chapter, even if it does come off as boring. Holy man, so many names!**

**Translations in order of appearance-**

**Kunio-countrymen**

**Makoto-sincere, true**

**Haruko-spring child**

**Toshi- alert, bright, intelligent**

**Misaki- beauty bloom**

**Sakura-cherry blossom**

**Shou- to fly, to soar**

**Amaya- night rain, also a variant spelling of Basque Amaia meaning "the end". **

**Nakamura means in a village(I honestly laughed at this, it fit Kunio's name so well). and Takaki means tall tree (again, oh the irony).**

**Each name has a specific meaning in relation to the character. Some are more obvious than others. Might elaborate on some later. ;)**

**Anyway, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I might be able to conjure up another chapter before break ends, but I'm not sure.**

**~Riddle**

** P.S. My only wish from all of you is to review the story. I love hearing what you guys have to say. :D**

**P.P.S. I received a new notebook computer for Christmas, so hopefully it allows me to type more (The big problem with my old one was that it didn't have a space bar and I had to use on screen computer. Four words. PAIN. IN. THE. ASS.). **


	14. Fireflies

Fireflies

Nicole and Owen remained silent in their seats, staring at the spoon and Amaya. Shou stared, but resumed sipping on his tea, as if nothing had happened.

"I see you are fully aware of your powers," Owen muttered.

"Oh yes, have been for years," Amaya smiled ever so sweetly.

"So wait…you're okay with this?" Nicole's question was directed at Shou.

"Mhmm. I've grown up my whole life knowing of Obaasan's gifts. We keep no secrets from each other."

"If you know what you are, than you must be aware of why we are asking of your services," Owen addressed.

"Firstly, young man," Amaya frowned, holding her cup with both hands, "I may not be human, but telling

me such things make me uncomfortable and dislike your company less and less. Secondly, I know who Meave is, and what she is capable of. I have never met her face to face, and I am glad for it. Thirdly, how could you possibly know what the situation is like? I know for a fact you are not one of the four. Meave is a powerful being, far more than me. How could she possibly be defeated."

Owen paused for a second, raising his hand to Nicole.

"I know, because I have seen her face Meave and come out alive and practically without a scratch. And last I recalled, I never mentioned anything about defeating Meave," he added with a mischievous smirk. Nicole figured that this particular grin only appeared when Owen knew he had outsmarted his opponent.

Amaya was taken aback. She glanced to Nicole.

"You?"

Nicole nodded. "I am the fourth one, with a connection to the earth. I haven't known very long—well, I have, but I lost my memory…never mind that. I never knew about any of it until Meave found me. She hired three men to kidnap me in order to get information about Merlin's whereabouts in order to find you and our other…sister. She threatened the lives of my friends. I wounded her in our last confrontation, but I doubt it is enough to completely eliminate her. That is why we are here today, to ask if you will join us. If she is not stopped, than there is no telling what she will do…who she will harm."

Amaya watched Nicole. Her look of puzzlement turned to tiredness.

"You are asking a lot of me," She sighed, rubbing her temple. "I know everything you want from me but…I need time to think."

"That is understandable," Owen told her.

"You are welcome to stay here, if you wish," she invited them; "I have four spare rooms upstairs and enough space. I would hate for you to climb up this old mountain back and forth."

"If you insist," Nicole smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Shou," Amaya waved her hand to him. "Take them to their rooms. The Book Room and the Sun Room perhaps? Miskaki is still using Red Room. Speaking of which, where is that girl? You take them, I'll go look for her." She stood from her seat and went out the back door.

Shou rose from his seat, collected his and Amaya's empty cups before he motioned to the doorway.

"Follow me."

He led them to a tiny hallway, lined with more artwork and calligraphy. Nicole noticed how even though she could hear Japanese, she was not able to speak or read it.

_Guess Puck's spell only worked for hearing._

The hallway led to an entryway. Straight ahead were the front door and an umbrella basket beside it. To the right was a staircase that ran along the wall. But to the left was a living room of sorts. Mixed furniture dominated the room, a red carpet lay on the floor, the walls were painted a deep brown and several house plants were shoved into the corners. One wall was bare, except for a single, wide window—drawn close—and a picture frame. Nicole did not have time to clearly see the picture, because Shou was telling her to hurry up. They climbed the stairs to a long hallway with numerous doors and a single window at the end. Nicole noticed that each door had characters drawn on them, possibly telling which room from which.

They passed the first two doors, but stopped in front of the third.

"This is your room," he told Owen, pushing it open. Inside was filled with hundreds of books and scrolls, either on one of the three shelves covering the walls or on the floor in piles. A bed was pushed against the one wall without any shelves, but books were piled on either side. The walls, from what could be seen, were painted a dark royal blue and the floors wooden.

"Thank you Shou," Owen bowed, placing his bag on the bed. "I will settle in. Nicole, I am here if you need me."

Nicole nodded as Shou continued on. Skipping the next three doors—one was smaller, which Nicole assumed was a closet—Shou opened the last door.

"And this is yours."

Shou pushed the door open, but Nicole was nearly blinded by sunlight entering the room. It was small, but held very few items. The bed was in the centre of the room, surrounded by nothing but dark wooden floors. A white painted dresser was opposite of the foot of the bed, holding only a vase with light pink Japanese Plum flowers and a small brown box. Shou closed the door behind her.

What stunned Nicole was the view she received from the window that covered pretty much the entire wall. She was looking at the village below and the other mountains around it. The Cherry Blossom tree in the backyard was in the right part of the window, but it did not completely block the view. An ivory Kline sofa was facing the window to the left, making it a perfect spot to see the landscape. A white curtain was pulled to the left as well, tied with a big, golden rope so it was out of the way. Nicole placed her bag on the ground and simply stood, observing her surroundings outside. She did not know how long she stood like that, but something down below caught her eye.

Amaya was walking back from somewhere beyond the large rock, but she was not alone. In front of her, a sullen looking teenager was walking back towards the house. The girl was tall and attractive, with a curvy body. Her hair was straight-her bangs were a fringe cut-and flowing down her lower back. Sporting a bright designer tee shirt and white capris, she looked out of place in such serene and traditional setting. Her pink lips were pouting and her light brown eyes were rolling into the back of her head as Amaya scolded her. Nicole could not hear them if she wanted too, because once they were closer to the house, Amaya started whispering. Something must have peaked the girl's interest, because she turned around and asked a question. Amaya simply nodded in response. Turning around, Nicole could see the upturning of the girl's lips before both disappeared into the house.

_Strange_, Nicole thought,_ I wonder what that was about._

A knock came from the door.

"Come in!"

Owen opened the door, pausing to assess the room—his hands behind his back.

"Your room is certainly more…spacious."

Nicole chuckled softly, "I think you got that room because Amaya assumed you would appreciate the reading material."

"Well, it is not as if I am unappreciative. A few of those books are in a number of genres and from many a time. I am sure those rolls date back decades, if not centuries. How is your room fairing?" He asked in an honestly curious tone.

"Very well, I love it. I feel so peaceful and…open here. The view is extraordinary and the general vibe is calming. I feel inspired," she explained, turning her attention to the canvas.

"Good thing I brought this than."

She turned around in time for Owen to present her notebook from behind his back.

"Y-you brought it with you?"

"I thought that if you had a moment of peace, you might like to continue writing," He gave the slightest shrug; extending his hand to her. She accepted the journal, rubbing her hand over the front cover absentmindedly.

"Thank you, so much Owen. That was very kind…" She trailed off when she raised her head to meet his eyes. His normally sharp and calculating blue eyes had faded into a calm, even devious kind of undertone. They met with her twinkling green eyes in an instant. Neither of them spoke. He gave a modicum smile, to which she returned nervously. A sound came from the door—an "ahem". Standing in the doorway was the girl from earlier, only this time, her face was curious and bemused. The two immediately broke eye contact; Nicole, staring at the floor—beginning to blush—while Owen rubbed his head-staring at the nearby wall.

"**Obaasan wishes to see you both down stairs for dinner**," she told them before walking back down the hallway—a smirk never leaving her face.

"We should…"

"Yea."

The two walked quickly to the door—Nicole ahead of Owen—and down the corridor. Fresh aromas could be smelt, bring saliva to Nicole's tongue. Inside the kitchen, Amaya stood in front of the stove while Shou set the table. The girl sat on small red cushioned chair at the table—looking positively bored until the pair walked in.

"Would you like any help Amaya," Owen politely asked.

"No, no, just sit. You are the guests, so you must be served," she assured him as she began dishing up the stew into the large bowls—each was different in size and colour.

Nicole could tell that was eating away at Owen. Normally, the man was the server—the one who did all the work for other people- and not the receiver. She understood that in such a role reversal, he must have felt out of place. Giving him a sympathetic smile, she sat down on an orange bar stool—which was surprisingly short, as Nicole was still at about chest height with the table. Owen sat down between her and the girl on the simple wooden chair. When the bowls were placed on the table and Shou and Amaya sat down, she motioned to the girl.

"This is Miskaki; she lives here from time to time. She is about young Toshi's age, correct?' she looked to her for clarification. She nodded slowly, scooping up some stew. She looked disinterested in being acknowledged in English. Taking a sip, Nicole was pleased with the taste.

"This is delicious! What kind is it?" she asked, taking another spoonful.

"Rabbit."

It took Nicole a few seconds and all her will power in order to swallow what she had in her mouth.

"R-really?"

"Oh yes. Shou caught it himself this morning. He is a good tracker and hunter. You look pale; rabbit not agree with you?"

"Nicole?" Owen said concerned.

"I-I'm fine," she managed to say. "Just a little surprised".

"Don't worry, kawii*, it takes like chicken. It's the eastern white meat," Amaya joked.

Nicole let out a weak laugh, and succeeded in having another spoonful. Amaya was correct that the rabbit tasted exactly like chicken. Nicole got through the rest of the dinner by repeating the same verse over in her head,

_It tastes like chicken, it is chicken. It tasted like chicken, it is chicken…_

When the dishes had been scrubbed by both Shou and Owen—who had insisted he do it—and tea had been set out with cookies and other sweets, the group sat down once again.

"So what is your job profession, Mr. Burnett?" Amaya questioned Owen, in order to make small talk.

"I am the head assistant to Mr. David Xanatos of Xanatos Enterprises, situated in New York City."

"David Xanatos?"

"Yes, he is the owner of a multi-billion dollar company, specializing in robotics, cyber technology and construction. He is one of the richest men in the world, currently the fifth."

Shou and Miskaki gave him blank looks after the mention of the word "multi". Amaya scoffed,

"Money means nothing around here, and certainly nothing involving technologies. No, around here, if you know a thing or two about hunting or farming, you know how to survive, and that's all that matters. I believe we are part of the few regions which has not yet modernized, like the rest of Japan."

Owen looked shocked for a few milliseconds, before he put on his emotionless façade.

"What about you Nicole, what do you do for a living?" Amaya sipped her tea.

"I…am currently unemployed. I am an amateur children's writer though."

"Oh, I see." Amaya did not push the issue any further.

"Mr. Burnett," Miskaki spoke for the second time that evening—this time in English, in a rather fluttery voice, "What does your job mean?"

Owen did not miss a beat, despite her grammatically incorrect term. "I basically organize paperwork, receive important phone calls and make sure Mr. Xanatos arrives on schedule to appointments. Apart from that, I also take care of simple tasks in the home and teach Mr. Xanatos's son, Alexander."

"Oh," Miskaki replied, unsure of what he was talking about, "okay." Nicole noticed that she blinked much more than she had before and that her posture had become less stiff, more…welcoming.

"What do you teach this…Alexander?" Shou raised his eyebrow.

Nicole swore the man was on a roll this evening. "I teach him important lessons that will benefit him in the future, as his father's successor."

"Interesting," Shou muttered. His voice was not sarcastic, which Nicole took as a good sign.

"So is this Mr. Xanatos married?" Miskaki inquired, leaning against her hand.

"He is, to Mrs. Fox Xanatos nee Renard, who is heir to the Cyberbiotics Company. They have been happily married six years."

"That is interesting," Nicole could pick up traces of disinterest in her voice, "And are you, Mr. Burnett, married?"

Owen looked taken aback by the question, but answered it nonetheless.

"No, I am not married."

"Do you have a fiancée?"

"No, I do not."

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Lov-"

"Miskaki, your tea is spilling," Nicole hissed.

Miskaki stopped talking. She looked down to see that while she had been speaking, her arm had slid down the table, knocking her tea with her elbow, spilling its contents slowly across the table.

"**Smooth move,**" Shou sighed.

"**Shut up,**" Miskaki snarled at him.

"**Enough, you two**!" Amaya exclaimed. "**Shou, please be more considerate.** **Miskaki, clean up this mess and then go to your room. Your behaviour is completely inappropriate."**

"**You can't talk to me like that. What are you, my mother?"**

"**You are lucky I am not your mother."**

"**Gosh! I can't talk to you right now! You are exactly like my mother! You'll never understand me!"** Miskaki pushed her chair back and stormed out of the room and up the stairs. Moments later, a door was slammed.

Silence followed soon afterwards. Nicole was at a loss at how to handle the situation. Owen looked neutral, but Nicole could sense that he too was uncomfortable with the situation. Shou silently stood up, retrieved a cloth and began cleaning up the tea. Amaya rubbed her temples. Nicole looked to Owen, for guidance. He looked in the direction of the back door. Getting up, they walked outside to find the sun setting in the distance. Nicole sat on the bottom step while Owen remained standing.

"Tough crowd," Nicole muttered. Owen remained silent. "Would you say something?"

"I do not know what to say."

Nicole looked up at him. His face bore the usual blank expression, but his eyes were a different story. Confusion was mixed in with shock. He was blinking more often too.

"That must have been an awkward position for you huh?"

"Very."

"Sit down."

"Pardon?"

Nicole patted the spot beside her.

"Sit down. You make me nervous with you standing like that. Just relax."

Owen stared at her before he lowered himself to her level. He loosened his tie as well and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his suit.

"That is relaxing for you? Oh my."

"What else do you expect me to do?" Owen asked, confused.

Nicole was about to answer when a glowing bug flew a few feet in front of her. More appeared around the bushes and the tree. Both watched the bugs start to gather.

"Follow my lead," Nicole whispered.

Owen watched as Nicole slowly stood up and walked towards the fireflies. Then, with lightning fast reflexes, she clasped one in her hand. "Come see!"

He walked to her, looking curiously down at her hands. She opened her hands a little to reveal a small lightning bug to him. His light shone through her hand. Nicole laughed,

"Jeez, this tickles."

Opening her hands, she let him fly away. A smile radiated of her face as she grabbed another one close by.

"Here," she said, holding her hands out to him. "Take it."

* * *

Puck couldn't help but enjoy this playful fun. It was a nice break from all the tension.

_If the tension was gasoline, one match would have blown us all the way to Avalon,_ Puck thought cleverly.

Nicole was holding two fireflies in her closed hands, laughing as they tickled her. Owen still held onto his own bug, which was comfortable to walk over the tops of his fingers. Owen realised this was the most "fun" he has had in a while. He dare not show it though. Owen was not like that.

_Oh, if only I was Puck._

That thought made both Owen and Puck pause.

_How is it am able to turn into Puck anyway? I cannot without Alexander around or if he's in danger. I don't see Oberon taking his spell off me anytime soon either. Curious._

Nicole interrupted his thoughts when she found that several insects were crawling on her arms, giving her a strange, circled glow up and down her limbs.

"Owen, look!"

Owen acknowledged, and she continued to walk around. Seeing this side of Nicole was pleasant in Owen's perspective. Normally, she conducted herself with maturity, but there was still a playful side to her, which was seen mostly in the company of Alexander. It was no question why she acted like that around him, but now, when they were thousands of miles from New York, she just…let herself be comfortable. Owen knew that this was good for her. With all that had come her way—Meave, Merlin, the journey, the truth with her family—she deserved a moment where she could be a little silly.

_She has been strong long enough. She has earned a short break._

Nicole paused. Looking up, he saw Shou was walking towards them; holding a big glass jar.

"It is better if you hold them in these. They make a cool light effect when it gets dark enough**."**

Nicole smiled as she began herding the bugs on her arms into the jar.

_God, I love her smile._

Owen found himself letting Puck's smile show. The jar had now been placed on the ground, while Shou joined Nicole in gathering precious light bugs. Owen noticed Amaya sitting on the porch, watching the show. When she saw Owen, she pointed to the jar. He understood her unspoken hint and joined the two others in their pursuit for bugs. Once it was dark enough, Shou held up the jar filled with fluttering lights. He was not lying. The jar gave the light a shimmering and slightly disoriented effect.

"Look!" Nicole pointed upwards.

Owen was honestly speechless at the clarity and quantity of stars in the cloudless sky. Constellations seemed to come alive against the dark backdrop. Every star twinkled with its own light.

_You'd have to go a long ways away from the city to see a sight like this, and even then, it's all satellites._

"Come on," Nicole sighed, "We should let them go."

Shou nodded as he loosened the lid on the it was completely off, the bugs flew out of the opening and up into the night. Many went back to the safety of the foliage, but a few rose up high in the sky, like stars.

"What do you think about this type of relaxation?" Nicole asked softly, still staring up at the night's sky.

It took a blink to find the right word. He found it when he was looking at Nicole's face, so filled with wonder and fascination.

"Perfect."

* * *

**Short Chapter is short. Whatcha gonna do?**

**I don't mind this chapter. I feel it's just a step up from a filler chapter. More stuff will happen next chapter and some questions should be answered.**

**Nothing else to say, since it's four in the morning.**

**Night. God Bless.**

**~Riddle**


	15. Guardians of Past and Present

Guardians of Past and Present

Nicole awoke the next morning not to the splash of sunlight in her room, but the sound of chimes outside. Glancing out the window, she saw Amaya was meditating under the cherry blossom tree; eyes closed and in lotus position.

Dressing in a pair of black yoga pants and a grey athletic shirt, Nicole went outside; pausing in front of the praying elder. Amaya said nothing, but patted the ground beside her. Nicole sat down and joined wordlessly. After a few moments, Amaya commented,

"Your breathing is fairly calm. I commend you."

"Thank you," Nicole breathed—her eyes remained closed, "I have a sister who is big into the arts and cultures from the Far East; even as far back as to when she was eleven. I managed to pick up a few things."

"Your sister has a very open soul, to embrace an entirely different culture than her own."

"Mhmm. She recently went to Tibet to go mountain climbing and soul searching."

"And what did she think of that?"

Nicole's eyes flickered open. "I…I-I believe she loved it. We never had a chance to talk about it in detail. I was at the airport leaving when she was arriving."

"What does you sister look like?" Amaya's eyes were shut tightly.

"Um…about three inches shorter than me, long, black curly hair, violet eyes, and a curvy figure, full of big smiles…"

"So nothing at all like you?"

The comment caught Nicole. "Yes. She is my…adopted sister; or rather…I'm hers."

Amaya opened her eyes and glanced at Nicole apologetic. "I am sorry, but I was confused. I thought she might have been one of us."

"No, no. I'd hate for her to be dragged into this. So many people are involved now already. Mr. Xanatos's family, Owen, the-"

Nicole remembered something she had forgotten.

"I'm sorry Amaya, I have to check something!" she said in a blur-running inside. She was in front of Owen's room before she realised it.

"Owen?"

He opened the door—Nicole inwardly sighed that he had on a white undershirt and was not bare chested, though he his muscles looked big under—.

_Snap out of it!_

"Owen, may I come in."

Owen let her in instantly—she was careful not to knock any books over. Closing the door, she explained.

"Owen, where did the gargoyles go after we set them free? Do you know if they're hurt, or captured, or-"

"Hush, Nicole. They arrived late last night to tell me that they are roosting in a nearby temple on the other side of the mountain. As far as they know, the temple is unoccupied and receives no visitors."

Nicole let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"Yes…but they did mention something peculiar to me," he told her as he strolled to one of the shelves, reaching for a scroll.

"What?"

"It does not seem to be like any other temple. For this one, is full of relics of…" he explained as he unrolled the parchment, holding it open to her.

Nicole was shocked to see the pictures on the scroll. They looked as though they had been painted centuries ago.

She finished his sentence for him, "Gargoyles."

* * *

_The Night Before_

Owen had just retired to bed when the flapping of wings jolted him awake. Running as quietly as possible, he opened the back door to find three gargoyles standing outside.

"How did you find us?" Owen asked, readjusting his glasses.

"It wasn't without some careful listening," Brooklyn explained.

"The villagers seem pretty talkative about your guy's arrival to the Majo*'s place," Lexington told him.

"Witch? I was told that Amaya was a good person."

"Yea, but that doesn't stop the adults from thinking differently. From what Lexington heard, they are pretty suspicious of her longevity and her hermit lifestyle. They are convinced that the boy she looks after is a …what's the word I'm looking for?" Brooklyn looked to Lexington.

"They said an Oni*" Lexington whispered.

"A demon…continue?" Owen folded his arms across his chest.

"And that her house is full of body parts and animal carcasses. She apparently is the reason that some are unable to have children and one woman was going on about how her daughter has been seduced into becoming an apprentice. The villagers are getting pretty antsy down there. I think they are planning to do something."

"This…is not good." Broadway said nervously.

"No, not it is not. I will discuss this with Amaya tomorrow." The trio nodded. "By the way, where have you been roosting?"

"There is an old temple on the other side of this mountain," Brooklyn described, "It is small, but it is enough for us, plus it has been abandoned. But you'll never guess what it's for."

"It's filled with stuff about gargoyles!" Lexington exclaimed, before being hushed by his rookery brothers.

"Really?"

"Yea, there's some pretty old stuff in there. Mostly a bunch of scrolls, and drawings, but there's weapons and cave markings…"

"But unfortunately, there are no longer any gargoyles. All of them have either been destroyed in their stone form or died long ago," Brooklyn sighed downheartedly.

"It sucks for Brooklyn, because there's this painting of a really cute gargoyle with a sword-"

"Shut it Broadway. And it's a katana, for your information.**"

"I am glad you told me this new development," Owen said, annoyed slightly by the trio's antics. "I will try to convince Amaya to show us this temple. Until then, it is better if you stay away from here. I will tell Amaya and her son Shou of you all eventually, but not right now."

The gargoyles understood, taking to the sky in a moment.

Owen walked back into the house; to his room. Closing the door, he turned on the small lantern beside his bed. Picking it up, he began to search through the scrolls that were littering the room. He searched for hours until he found what he was looking for.

Opening it, a picture of a gentle yet strong gargoyle was flying above the mountain, overlooking the village. The text detailed how there were once a coven of gargoyles that protected the land for demons and ill doers. The clan lived in a series of caves that were transformed into a temple during the day by the citizens of the village below. However, after several generations, the people became afraid of the beasts. One stormy day, a mob went up to the temple and completely destroyed all the remaining gargoyles in their stone forms. This all took place nearly three hundred years ago.

Owen rolled up the parchment again, placed it on a nearby shelf and sighed. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he thought it would be best to go and try to retain some of his rest.

_I certainly have a lot to discuss with Amaya tomorrow._

* * *

"Wow, what are the chances of that happening?" Nicole commented.

"I'd say, one in eighteen billion, five hundred million, four million, eight hundred thousand, two hundred and eight," Owen predicted, replacing the scroll on the shelf.

"Rhetorical question," Nicole sighed, slapping her hand lightly to her forehead. She began to chuckle softly. Owen looked honestly confused at the two actions, but Nicole ignored it. "Come on, Hobgoblin, we should go down to breakfast and talk to Amaya."

Puck could not help but smirk at her use of one of his many nicknames. Nicole didn't see it however, because she left the room before he did. Walking down the stairs, they could once more smell delectable aromas wafting from the kitchen. Shou was tending to the rice and Amaya to what looked like omelettes. Owen and Nicole had just sat down when Miskaki slumped into the kitchen. Rubbing her eyes, she sat down between Owen and Amaya's empty chair. Nicole could somehow sense that she was upset over something, though she couldn't quite understand why.

"**Good morning,"** Owen greeted her in her native tongue.

She perked up slightly, "**Good morning, Owen-sama!"** Nicole noticed the twitch in his eyebrow at the honorific.

"Good morning, Owen, Nicole," Amaya greeted both as she placed the omelettes on their plates. Nicole was not paying attention, but she saw Miskaki jump straight upwards when Amaya passed her, to which Miskaki glared at her reseeding back.

"This looks delicious," Owen commented on the egg, "Is this Tamagoyaki*?"

Amaya beamed, "Yes it is! Good identification!"

Nicole stared blankly ahead as Shou served her rice. "Amaya, where did you learn to speak English so well?"

Amaya sat down, sighing. "Merlin taught me."

"He did?"

"Yes, he taught me Japanese as well, but he insisted I speak proper English before he let me go. I'm glad he did. Language is an important skill to have. It opens many doors."

"And did you teach it to others?" Owen swallowed a cut piece of egg.

"When I arrived here, yes. I taught several people in the village, including Kunio. Though, I must admit, he could use a little more practise, but he is very good at it."

"How did you come to be so close to Kunio and his family?"

"Well…when he was younger, Kunio never really got along with the others in the village, you know, his classmates. He found the time to climb up almost three times a week, just to escape. I was happy to help him. In exchange for doing chores, I taught him English and told him stories. When he met Makoto, I was so pleased. Never before had I seen two people more in love. When Toshi was born, I would come down the mountain to visit, bringing with me treats. Then, when Makoto was carrying Haruko, I climbed down the mountain to help deliver her. In other words, I've always felt close to the Naramura family."

"I remember," Nicole snapped her fingers, "Kunio was telling us about how you planted that tree in their front yard."

"Ah, yes, I did that the night Haruko was born. I took a seed from the previous harvest and planted it."

"Previous…you mean the tree behind their house?"

"Yes. I planted that one too, only I never realised that anyone would be living there in the future."

"Amaya," Owen cleared his throat, "Exactly when did you plant that tree?"

"Hmm," Amaya paused, "About forty five years ago."

"Was there any significance to planting that seed?"

"Of course. Kunio was born that day."

"You…were there when he was born?"

"I delivered him."

Nicole sat back in her chair, "Like father, like daughter?"

"I believe that is the term," Amaya smirked.

"Why did you plant a cherry tree anyway?"

"Because of what it represents; new life, the ending of spring, joy."

Nicole smiled, satisfied with the answer. They ate in silence. When the dishes were put away, Shou went outside, explaining that he was going to check his traps. Miskaki went back to her room without a farewell.

"Amaya, we have something rather peculiar we would like to ask you," Owen spoke professionally.

"Shoot," she smirked.

"What do you know about gargoyles?"

Her smirk descended.

"Why do you wish to know?"

"It has come to my attention," he pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose, "that there is a temple on the other side of this mountain, one that is specifically for a gargoyle clan."

"I see," Amaya exhaled. "Yes, there is a temple for that specific purpose, but it has been destroyed and ransacked. I don't even go there as much as I used to."

"You used to go there frequently?"

"I did, because…I felt that somebody had to pay their respects to the guardians. I have been told many stories about them. It is a shame that they were met with such a fate."

"So you do believe they are real."

"If you and I, Nicole, are real then that does not mean that they aren't as well."

"Amaya, could you take us to the temple?" Owen inquired.

"I shall, but once Shou gets-"

"Obaasan, I'm home! There was nothing in the traps unfortunately," Shou called from the front door.

"What a shame. Not to worry, I still have some left over rabbit from before.

Nicole squirmed in her seat, looking visibly unwell. Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Let me prepare first, than we may leave," Amaya stood and went outside.

Nicole and Owen sat in silence and Shou went outside to see his guardian. "You are taking her to the temple?" Shou frowned.

"Yes…"

"I'll come too. I was there today and it looks like an animal or something is hiding inside. The place has been cleared of the vines and weeds at the entrance."

"Is that so?" Owen glanced at Nicole.

"I'm going to help Obaasan." He left out the door.

Owen and Nicole shared a look between one another. "I'm going to go change," Nicole announced.

"Why? What's wrong with what you are wearing?" Owen raised his eyebrow as he looked her over.

"I'm not going to wear yoga pants while walking through thistles. Besides, it looks like it'll get colder," Nicole pointed out the window to the approaching clouds from the west.

"That's reasonable."

Nicole led the way as the two went to their respective bedrooms. Nicole rummaged through her suitcase to find a sturdy pair of old jeans, a black tee shirt and a gray hoodie from her high school—Rydell Hills High School. As she slipped the hoodie over her head, a bird flew past her window. She smirked at it before she left. She shut her door just as Owen was exiting his room.

Nicole was actually shocked to see him in nothing more but a dark grey tee shirt, black trousers and black running shoes. Noticing her expression, he explained, "I'd rather not ruin one of my suits." Nicole remained silent as they walked down the hall. As they passed one of the closed doors, she caught Owen tilting his ear in the direction of the wall. After a moment, he shook his head and continued down the stairs. Waiting at the bottom were Amaya and Shou.

"If you two are ready, then we shall get going," Amaya beamed.

"Will Miskaki be joining us?" Owen wondered; motioning up the stairs.

"And ruin her fancy shoes," Shou scoffed, "No way."

Amaya led the way out of the house, down the steps and into the garden. Owen, Nicole and then Shou walked with her as she led them down the main path. After a few short minutes, she directed them to a small path.

Nicole could see how incredible the landscape was from where they were. The mountain range around them and the town below were absolutely breathtaking. She took in the views with a sense of awe before something caught her eye. Owen rushed towards her; wrapping his arms around her.

"Owen? Wha-?" Her eyes glanced towards the edge of a small, lush green cliff that was covered in vines—only about eight feet down from where she was standing. One more step and she would have fallen down.

"Watch where you step," Owen scolded her as he let go of her and stared at her with serious eyes.

"I will," she promised; trying to stop herself from blushing.

"It seems that you've already found the entrance dear," Amaya commented as she pushed aside some long grass that revealed a thin path leading down the side of incline. Leading the way, Amaya brushed aside the vines to reveal a stone archway over the entrance. "This temple is completely underground in a system of caves."

"Amazing," Nicole remarked as she stepped inside. The light from outside only penetrated the dark so far. Otherwise, Nicole was blind. "How can we-?"

"Torch?"

Shou was holding a short lit torch. Owen took a second one from the wall. Shou lent his torch in order to lite Owen's. With the light from both, Nicole was able to see father into the cavern. The walls were reinforced with cut stone. Parchment and scrolls were hung; the characters short and unfamiliar to Nicole. A short ways from the entrance, there was a fork in the tunnels. Over both turns was a word etched into the stone. An altar of sorts was between the two, where burnt out candles and mouse chewed parchment lay forgotten.

"In the past," Amaya explained, "Villagers from below would leave offerings to the guardians here. No one dared go past this point, out of respect for the gargoyles privacy and because anyone could be lost in the maze below us."

"How far do these tunnels go?" Owen asked as he eyed the two passages.

"The farthest I have managed is to the base of the mountain. Note the string." Pointing to the left tunnel, the foreigners saw blue string was wrapped around the base of the altar and led off somewhere into the dark.

"How many times have you been down these?" Nicole asked curiously.

"Many," Amaya simply answered as her and Shou began to walk towards the tunnels.

"Owen, what do the words mean?" Nicole inquired; pointing to the archways above.

"They both say guardian, but in different ways. The one on the left is more formal then its counterpart. I believe it is a way to confuse villagers so they do not go down the tunnels."

"Correct, Mr. Burnett. In older times, many of the lower classes were illiterate or knew only a few characters. Very few knew the difference between the two words, so it was widely accepted not to enter either way."

Walking in silence, Amaya was careful to follow along with the single blue thread along the ground. The passageways twisted in various directions. Nicole accidently kicked a rock forward, where I made an echo up ahead.

"I was just about to say that we had arrived," Amaya noted as Shou brought the torch to her. The light shone into a large cavern. The walls were decorated with weapons and painting—both on the walls and on parchment. The floor was littered in stone rubble.

"Are these-?"

"Yes Nicole. These are what remain of the gargoyle clan," Amaya told her downheartedly.

Moving among the stones, Shou managed to see something in the dark. "Obaasan, are these three the ones you told me about?"

Turning sharply, Owen and Nicole were faced with Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway in their stone form; looking peaceful to their otherwise monstrous forms.

"Yes Shou, just as I had seen."

"You've seen them before?" Nicole questioned.

"In a way," Amaya told her vaguely.

"You can see into the future," Owen deduced.

"Very good! I was wondering when you would figure it out."

"Really?" Nicole speculated.

"Don't tell me Merlin did not tell you." When met with a blank stare, she continued, "Apart from being different from one another in terms of our resected element, we were also given specific gifts that manifested from the magical properties we were brewed with. I have been able to predict parts of the future. However, this is done at random and my predictions are never quite understandable."

"Now I get it. Meave has the ability to change her appearance," Nicole remembered.

"Yes, but there is something odd about the way she changes form, but I have no idea why. Now, could you have an idea about what your gift is?"

Nicole pondered for a while. "From as far back as I can remember, I've always been able to tell how my family has felt—if they were sad, mad, happy—even when their face showed otherwise. I've only been able to do this with them…and Owen and Alexander I guess."

"How interesting," Amaya smirked.

"What?"

"Oh nothing dear. Anyway, it would be nice to meet your friends when they wake up. We can come visit them again closer to sundown."

Amaya began to walk towards the exit with Shou in tow. A look was shared between Owen and Nicole; before the latter shrugged and followed after their hosts. Owen glanced back at the gargoyles before he left as well, swallowing the cave back into complete darkness.

* * *

***dies***

**There, I finished a chapter with a bit of inspiration this weekend.**

**Are you all content?**

**Good, because I'm going to start the next chapter, then go to bed.**

***Oni -Demon**

***Majo- Witch**

***Tamagoyaki- A Japanese Omelette; made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg**

****Anyone who gets this reference is a smart cookie who knows the Gargoyle comics or knows how to work Wikia. XD**

**Review sil-vous-plait. I love hearing from you guys. And I am fully aware that I need to update this story more often. So I'd appreciate a note, some criticism maybe , whatever before you remind me of how I need to get working on the story. Cool? Cool. **

**~RiddleGirl**


	16. Flight

Flight

"What is another word for little?"

"Microscopic, miniscule, petite, sparse, imperceptible…"

"You do realize this is for my story right?"

"…Elfin?"

Nicole sighed, "That'll work for now." She scribbled something in her notebook before she took a sip of her tea. Owen and she were in the major domo's room. She was sitting on his low bed—writing—while he stood reading a book about old Japanese war strategies.

"What do you require the word for?"

"In the story, the princess and Puck are just outside the fairy queen's kingdom and I'm trying to describe how the some of the fairy folk look like. I want to avoid using little so often."

"That seems understandable," he hummed as he turned back to his reading.

"How is that book fairing for you?" Nicole asked without glancing up from her page.

"Quite well actually," Owen shifted on his leg towards a stack of scrolls, "I'm just analysing a famous strategy from Edo period General Wong-Fey. He was famous for-"

At that moment, Owen's foot slipped on the corner of a scroll. He tumbled down ungracefully; his head hitting the end of his bed.

"Owen!" Nicole cried as she crouched down; her hands reaching to grab his head. "Are you injured?"

"Oh no, just a smack to the head. Nothing to…worry yourself…over…" Owen's sentence faded as he focused upwards. Nicole's head was directly above his; her hair floating down towards his face. They held each other's gazes before Nicole broke it off; backing away from him.

"I'm…glad y-you're alright." Owen shot up to a sitting position.

"Yes." He glanced over to Nicole where she was looking downwards; embarrassed. "Nicole…I-"

A soft knock came from the other side of the door. Owen sprung up to answer it. Shou was waiting patiently.

"It is nearly nightfall now. Your friends should wake up soon."

"Thank you, we will be down in a moment."

Shou bowed and continued down the hallway. Nicole stood up and followed after Owen as he shut the door. Walking down the stairs and into the kitchen, they were welcomed by the sight of Amaya brewing tea over the stove.

"Sunset will be in about five minutes. Your friends should be able to find their way out again by following the string."

"That's good," Nicole beamed as she took her seat.

"Do your gargoyles fly?" Shou asked with interest.

"Oh yes. All three of them have wings, but you should see Lexington's. His wings are more like…Amaya?"

Nicole had glanced at the elder as she stared off into space. The teacup she had been holding dropped to the floor, shattering to tiny pieces.

"Obaasan!" Shou cried as he dashed to steady her.

Observing her, Nicole was shocked to see how her eye colour transformed. The gold trim around her pupils began to spiral out to the edge of her irises; causing her eyes to be as bright and golden as the sun. She said absolutely nothing as she stared off into space. Shou did nothing to try and coax her from her trance; he merely held her so she wouldn't fall over.

Suddenly, she gasped. Closing her eyes momentarily, they opened again to reveal their natural shade. She raised her hand absentmindedly to her temple; lost in thought. Snapping completely from her trance, she immediately looked to Owen.

"Grab your bags."

"Amaya, what-?"

"Please just do it. Nicole, go to the Red Room and bring Miskaki."

The New Yorkers did not question her further. Running up the stairs, Nicole stopped in front of Miskaki's bedroom while Owen continued down the hall.

"Miskaki, open up! You need to come downstairs now!" Nothing was heard on the other side. "Miskaki?"

Pushing open the door, Nicole got a look inside the Red Room for the first time. The walls were painted a dark, ruby red while the floor boards were a deep, cedar red. Everything from the bed sheets, to the books, paintings and wardrobe was various shades of red. The only window in the room was a small opening over top of the bed. Beside it, a lone bird stand hung from the ceiling. The fowl was nowhere to be seen.

_There is no way she could have climbed out this tiny thing,_ Nicole thought as she glanced out the window. As she went to turn again, she accidently knocked over several books that were piled underneath the birdcage. Picking the books back up again, she noticed that tiny slips of paper had been pressed between each book. The pages had nothing but a few characters on each sheet, but they had been pinched together to make long trains.

"Nicole?" Owen paused outside the door, carrying their two bags.

"Owen, what do these say?"

Taking the slips of paper from her, it took him a minute to decipher. "They are love notes."

"Love notes?"

A sudden realization came to him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"I have no time to explain now. We should get downstairs."

Grabbing their suitcases and running to the kitchen, Owen and Nicole saw that Shou was loading a wooden bow with an arrow while Obaasan was packing away several items in a woven knapsack.

"Amaya, what is going on?" Owen inquired.

"I have had a vision," she quickly explained, "I saw a large mob coming up the mountain towards us. I fear that the villagers are coming up under false pretenses."

"What do you-"

He was interrupted by loud banging on the kitchen door.

"**Obaasan! It is Toshi and Miskaki! Open up please!"**

Shou carefully unlocked the door. The two teenagers rushed inside.

"**Obaasan,"** Toshi explained in a panic, "**The villagers are coming up the mountain!"**

"**Why child?"**

"**It is my mother!" **Miskaki explained, "**Only it isn't. My mother has been bedridden for several days, but apparently she has been in the tavern every night with excellent health; spewing lies about you and your way of life up here. I only found out about this two hours ago when I heard my neighbours talking. It seems that my "mother" has convinced the majority of the village that you are a witch and that you must be brought to justice. They are on the way up the mountain right now, hoping to surprise you."**

"**Obaasan, you have to leave right now!" **Toshi warned,** "If you are caught, I don't think there's anything we can do to save you. My father is trying to stall the mob, but he can only hold them off for so long."**

"It must be Meave," Nicole rationalized," She must have found us and she's using the villagers to try and capture you."

"If that's the case, then we need to get going," Owen said.

"My mother and sister are waiting at home," Toshi told him. "If you can get down the mountain to your moving truck, then you should be able to leave the village."

"Then we better get going," Shou commanded. "We only have so much time before the mob arrives."

Rushing out the back door, the group was met with a sudden downpour from the predicted rain storm. They could hear the shouts of the townspeople as they made their way up the mountain. Nicole heard them say "Witch", "Burn" and "Justice".

"How can we avoid them?" Nicole asked. "The quickest way down the mountain is that way down the trail," she pointed in the direction of the yelling.

"Simple," Owen smiled as we looked to the sky, "We avoid the trail all together." Flying towards them, their three gargoyle friends looked alarmed.

"We just saw a horde of people coming up towards you guys."

"We know. Can you fly us down the mountain to the Nakamura residence?" Owen asked the trio.

"Of course," Broadway nodded.

"I can take the two lightest people," Lexington offered as he grabbed Nicole's bag. Miskaki and Shou nervously stepped forward and grabbed onto his back. Brooklyn grabbed Owen's bag and motioned to Nicole.

"I'll carry you and I can take one other person on my back." Toshi stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the gargoyles neck. Nicole clung to Brooklyn as he wrapped his arm around her. Broadway politely picked up Amaya and held her in both arms as Owen hung onto his back. The shouts were growing closer and closer, with a clear, feminine voice ringing past the others.

"**Kill the majo! Kill the majo!"**

Miskaki grasped onto Lexington tighter.

"Ready?" Brooklyn asked his rookery brothers once everyone had settled.

"Ready!"

"Then let's fly!"

The trio took the sky above the house and began to glide down towards the village. Looking down the mountain, it seemed like the entire village had gathered. In the lead, however, was a short woman with her hair in a messy bun and a blue shawl dangling off her shoulders. Nicole was sure she could see a cunning smirk of the woman as she pointed to the sky.

"**Look, the majo is escaping with the help of her demons! After them!"**

The response from the crowd, however, was not what the leader had expected. The mob muttered and looked fearful towards the sky; old superstitious stories from their youths had suddenly become real.

"**What are you waiting for fools? After them!"**

Again, the crowd ignored the woman's commands. They began to inch away from the house; fearing that it was indeed a witch's coven.

The 'demons' had swiftly made their way down the mountain. They were close to the village when a shot rang out. Scanning the ground, Nicole couldn't see anything in the trees.

"Who's firing at us?" Brooklyn yelled as he tried to maneuver through the downpour.

"I can't tell. We're too high up and this rain isn't making things any better."

A second shot was fired; Brooklyn gasped. Nicole's eyes widened when she saw that a bullet had just skimmed past his leg—right below the knee.

"Brooklyn!"

"Don't worry," he assured her as he struggled to remain suspended. "It's just a nick. It can heal next time I sleep."

"We are near my house!" Toshi called out as he pointed to the candle lit home. Outside, Makoto and Haruko were waving at the descending crew. While his two rookery brother landed softly, Brooklyn had a hard time keeping his balanced as he applied pressure to his leg. Broadway made sure Amaya was standing before he went to his brother; supporting his shoulders as he led him to the truck.

Nicole noticed how shocked Makoto and Haruko were. Toshi ran to them, giving his mother and sister a big hug.

"**Do not worry. These three are good creatures; much like the ancient guardians Obaasan used to tell us about, right Imouto*?" **Toshi assured them.

Haruko was the first to take a cautionary step towards the winged creatures. Broadway glanced at her, giving her a beaming smile and a wave once Brooklyn was safely in the truck. Haruko shyly waved back.

"Where is Kunio?" Owen asked as he placed the bags in the back of the truck.

"**Look**," Haruko shouted as she pointed behind the house. Coming out of the shadows and into the lighten yard limped Kunio. Many of those in attendance gasped at his appearance. His clothes had become ruffled and dirtied. He was holding his left arm just below the elbow. His face was scratched and cut; his lip bleeding profoundly. His right eye was swollen and purple. Kunio's glasses were in his shirt pocket; a fine crack could easily be seen from a distance. His family rushed to him.

"Kunio!" Makoto gasped as she hugged her husband; tears forming in her eyes.

"Nee anata*, do not worry. I am fine-"

"You consider this fine?" Makoto raised her voice; a hand forming a fist as she held onto her husband's tattered shirt. "What happened?"

"I was able to distract the crowd for a while, but Sakura commanded them to do something in a language I no understand. Then they…well…walked over me." Kunio gave a weak smile. "But friends are here now! This is good news."

"I still cannot believe Sakura would do this," Makoto hissed; as if saying the name was poison in her mouth. "She may be one of the most respectable people in the village, but it gives her no right to use her power this way."

"But that was not Sakura," Owen spoke. "There is a woman who has the ability to impersonate other people. She may have used Sakura's identity to convince the villagers to do something they had no control over."

"**My mother would never do something like this**," Miskaki interjected. "**I mean sure, she did have some distrust towards Obaasan because I stayed over so often and the fact that whenever I was homeI'd complain about being at home and the fact that Toshi would come over-" **Miskaki slapped her hand over her mouth; realising her error too late.

Makoto looked at her son with suspicion before a light bulb seemed to turn on. "**You were the one who ran away from the Takaki residence, weren't you**?"

Kunio simply smiled at his son; giving him a pat on the back. "You are growing rather tall".

Both father and son shared a kind glance while Makoto simply hugged them both; relieved they were both safe. Their moment of peace was cut sort however, as the group could hear shouts far off in the distance.

"You must leave," Kunio warned.

"But what about you and your family?" Nicole wondered fearfully.

"Do not worry; we will make sure you get away before we go too. I have friends far away that can keep us until fight calms down," Kunio hummed.

"In that case, we better get going." Owen ushered the other two gargoyles into the truck before slamming it behind him.

"Thank you so much again for your hospitality," Nicole took Makoto and Kunio's hands in hers.

"We are honoured to know and to help such good people." Makoto bowed. Nicole returned the gesture; Owen was helping Amaya and Shou into the front of the truck. Nicole hurried to the passenger side door. The shouting from up on the mountain was growing louder. Owen slammed the driver's side door. Due to the limited amount of space, Shou was forced to sit in Amaya's lap. After buckling in, the truck pulled out of the driveway. Nicole gave a worried glance to the Nakamura's and Miskaki. Toshi had his arms around Miskaki; comforting her as she sobbed for her mother and the uncertain future ahead. Makoto grabbed three bags from the front step as her husband turned the car on.

"What will happen to them?" Nicole wondered; her statement directed at Amaya.

Haruko rushed to help her mother with the bags, but not before glancing in the direction of the truck. She gave a thumbs up and a reassuring smile.

Amaya smirked. "I cannot say for sure. But everyone in that family is strong."

The moving van rolled down the road at great speeds. As they turned the corner out of the darkened village, Nicole's eyes shifted to the rear view mirror. She could see the light on the Nakamura's porch become snuffed out; engulfing the yard in darkness.

* * *

***dodges pitchforks, torches and a cat***

**There a chapter. Glad I got this one done. Disappointed that it's short, but it's none the less done.**

**Leave a lengthy review guys; I live for them.**

**~RiddleGirl**

*******Imouto - Younger Sister**

***Nee anata - Darling/Honey**


	17. Late Night Musings

Late Night Musings

Driving back to the airport was a quiet endeavour. Owen had stopped the truck once to see how Brooklyn was fairing. After quickly wrapping and dressing his wound, Brooklyn assured him that after he had a good sleep he would be fine. The traveling truck continued east. Shortly after the sun had risen ahead of them, Shou dozed off; his head leaning towards Amaya. Smirking at the child, Amaya closed her eyes as well.

Nicole studied the road map in her lap.

"If you take the next exit on your right, we might be able to cut off another fifteen minutes from our travel time."

Following her instructions, Owen turned on the next inner pass. However, an accident up ahead had caused a standstill with more than fifty cars in front of the truck.

"So much for the shortcut."

"It is alright Nicole. It is hard to predict changes like this."

Turning towards her, Owen caught something. "Nicole, look at me for a moment."

She turned to face him. Carefully, he held her chin. "Owen-?"

"Your eyes are different," he explained after a short pause, "There is now a ring of dark brown around your pupil."

Nicole moved away from Owen's touch to look at her eyes in the passage side mirror. She was surprised to see that the green eyes she had all her life had developed a thin line of brown on her iris. "I've never noticed it. It must have just happened recently. I can ask Amaya about it when she wakes up."

Owen hummed as he continued to watch her. A horn from behind brought him back to reality.

"Jeez. Someone is impatient," Nicole huffed.

Shou stirred in his sleep. "Are we almost there?" He yawned as he rubbed his eyes.

"We still have another hour or so," Nicole informed him. Amaya's eyes fluttered open. "Amaya, I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Owen noticed that my eye colour has changed slightly. I've noticed that you have a ring of gold around your pupil. Have you always had that?"

"No actually. Shou noticed it just as you arrived with Kunio. He came to me later and told me about it."

"Your eye colour also changed when you had a vision," Shou reported. He explained to her what had happened.

"How curious. That has never happened before."

"I wonder what would have caused it," Nicole shrugged.

"I'm sure it's not a big issue. Being the impressive beings we are, it must just come with being ourselves. It is a good thing Mr. Burnett noticed," Amaya eyed Owen.

A faint blush rose on Nicole's cheeks as she continued to stare out the window. "Oh look, there's the sign saying the airport is about forty minutes away."

"Forty five minutes," Owen corrected.

Amaya lightly chuckled to herself as the truck continued down the highway.

* * *

Brushing past the crowd of waiting tourists on their way to England, Nicole led the way towards the gate. She had her bag in one hand; her boarding pass in the other. She turned to wait for her companions.

Owen walked briskly behind her, his normal lack of emotion showing. Amaya was close behind; gripping the small woven bag she had brought with her. It contained few items—some medicine, clothes, a prayer book, candles, several photos and passports Amaya had obtained years earlier for Shou and herself. "It's always a good idea to have some official identification" she had said. Shou was trailing behind. He took momentary pauses to take in his surrounding's with awe. He carried nothing as his bow and arrows were the only checked luggage among the group. Amaya urged him to keep moving.

"What is that drink on that block?" he asked as he pointed to several snack and drink machines.

"Coca-Cola?"

Shou tilted his head in interest. Nicole walked him to the machine and taught him how to use the machine. When a plastic bottle rolled out from the bottom, Shou cautiously grabbed it. Nicole twisted the cap off for him. Tentatively, he took a sip. Cool bubbles popped on his tongue.

"This is yummy. Do you American's drink this all the time? Is it like water?"

"Some people drink it often, but it's not something to have all the time. There's a lot of sugar in it."

Shou continued to take slow sips; savouring the new taste as they made their way to the gate.

* * *

Owen had just shut off the seatbelt sign when Nicole brought out the map again. Opening it slowly, she laid it on her lap. She pushed her hair out of her face. The page was still blank.

"How did I get it to work before?"

Nicole's mouth formed a thin line as she brainstormed.

"You had sighed before the map changed," Owen remembered as he crouched down in front of her.

"Oh yeah! I wonder if it will work again." Nicole breathed on the map. A spiral came from a single dot in the middle of the page before it branched out, revealing the land masses. A dot appeared just off the coast of Japan.

"T-that can't be right."

"It's showing where Amaya is," Owen noted; stroking his chin.

"But where's my other sister?" The term was still strange sounding to Nicole, but she paid no mind to it. By this time, Amaya and Shou had reached Nicole's seat and were thinking. "What do I do?"

The quartet remained silent. Owen snapped his fingers. "I have an idea".

He took a step back. Taking off his glasses and placing them in his coat pocket, he took a deep breath. He began to spin on his own. Shou and Nicole looked at him in amazement. Amaya simply smirked. The twister's colour's turned from deep blue to various bright colours. Once he slowed down, Owen was no longer there. Only Puck stood; beaming. Amaya and Shou stood in silence.

"Oh, don't mind me you two. Owen will explain everything in a quick second."

"What are you doing?" Nicole raised her eyebrow.

"Well, unless you happened to have smuggled some matches on the plane, I thought my powers would be more useful."

"Useful? How-?"

Puck snapped his fingers to reveal a flame on his pointer finger. He brought it close to the map.

"Are you nuts?" Nicole snatched the map away from him. "You'll burn it to a crisp!"

"Nicole, think about it. This map belongs to Merlin, known as the greatest wizard who ever lived. He created a being that can likely admit fire. If he didn't fashion all his possessions to be fireproof—including this map—then I don't know the sorcerer".

Nicole gave him a sceptical glance before she held the map out in front of her. Puck flipped his hand palm down. The flame hovered directly over the centre. The map immediately erased itself. A new mark appeared on the page. However, instead of spiraling out like before, the lines on the page made a zigzagging motion to the edges. The world was inked on the sheet. A dot formed just over Eastern Africa.

"Africa?"

"More specifically in the North Eastern area of Kenya," Puck pointed out. "It does make sense that the being of fire would be in a normally hot climate. Here's hoping she's not hot headed. Get it?"

"Puck? Maybe it's time Owen made an appearance."

Puck frowned. "He is my secret identity you know. I created him. And if I want to stay around longer then-"

"While you being here is a nice change, Owen still has to explain to Amaya and Shou what's going on. Besides, if Oberon senses you're using your powers too often, you might be in big trouble. Isn't that what you told me?"

Puck turned towards the two Asians on board. While Amaya was neutral about the situation, Shou was in a defensive stance in front of his guardian.

"Oh fine. I guess I do have some explaining to do. I hope next time this happens I can actually stay long enough to "spread my wings" as the saying goes." Puck frowned as he transformed back into Owen.

"Now tell us what happened," Shou demanded as he straightened up; his fist still clenched.

Owen explained his origins, his true self and how he had become Owen Burnett. Throughout the entirety of his storytelling, Amaya watched him with fascination. Shou's expression shifted from that of defense, to interested, to captivation.

"I am unsure to why I've suddenly been able to change into my original form. I doubt Oberon has gained a forgiving heart, but I shall not ponder too much on the matter."

"What an enthralling tale!" Amaya beamed.

"I must agree with Obaasan, you certainly have an interesting history," Shou complimented.

"Thank you. Now, if you would excuse me, it would be best if I returned to flying the plane." Owen excused himself. Sitting in his seat again, Owen took a hold of the controls. The private jet glided through the air with ease.

* * *

Turning on the auto pilot after hours of flying, Owen took a deep breath. The sun had set a few short hours ago; leaving a dark, yet cloudless sky. Turning to the seating section, he noticed that everyone was asleep. Shou was lightly snoring beside Amaya—who had a look of peace on her face. Nicole had fallen asleep with the map in her lap and her overhead light on.

Owen quietly strode towards her, stopping in front of her seat. He watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took. Her hand was loosely gripping the map. Owen felt his glasses slide down his nose. Taking them off, he slipped them into his coat pocket. A sudden, impulsive idea came to him. Moments later, Puck stood where Owen once was.

Bending down to sit cross legged, Puck placed his chin on his fist. He stared up at Nicole. She was truly an interesting woman.

"I can't seem to figure you out," Puck whispered.

_She admits that she has feelings for me, but could they be only for Owen? I've interacted with her more in that form only because I couldn't at any other time. If the spell Oberon had never been casted, could I have been able to be my true self more often? Would she like this side of me? _

Puck sat still thinking. While he did enjoy playing as Owen Burnett, he did yearn to be himself more often. He had created that persona in order to live differently; from a different point of view. He even had thoughts like two different people, just to keep up the charade.

_From now on, I will think as one person. My mind should only be for Puck. _

Nicole sighed in her sleep. Puck perked up. When she didn't wake up, he in turn heaved a sigh.

_I could watch her sleep forever._

The thought brought on memories of recent events.

_Nicole is almost immortal. Her aging process is much different from that of a normal human. I wonder if she would isolate herself in order to become younger. She could live forever if she wished. But then there is the issue of her sister. She's the closest family she has and eventually—years from now hopefully—she will pass on. Would Nicole want to age in order to be with her sister? And is it possible for her to die of old age?_

Puck sat in silence. Lifting his head from his fist, he let his arm drop to the floor. Tilting his head, he thoughtlessly lifted his opposite hand to cup Nicole's face. She unconsciously leaned into it. This brought a smile to his face.

"You really are a beautiful maiden."

Carefully—with his hand still in place—he stood. Bending down at the hips, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Stepping back, he transformed into Owen. He moved the map to the side and turned off her light.

Taking the controls again, he guided the plane through the night sky; with the moon and the stars to keep him company.

* * *

**I wrote another chapter while on vacation. It's a filler for sure, but it's a nice progression. I know in previous chapters I had written Puck's thoughts as being two separate people. I now felt this no longer stayed true to his real character, so his thoughts will now be from a one person view point. **

**I think I will need some time with the next chapter. I have a ton of research to do on the next area of interest and I hope to include more characters with interesting back stories. You will most likely get a glimpse of who this new 'sister will be, but time will tell. **

**Don't forget to leave a lengthy review guys. I love to hear from you. I especially want your opinion on how I've been writing Owen/Puck. His personality/behaviour will be a big part in chapters ahead, so I want a good idea of how to write him right away. Feel free to message me if you wish.**

**Until then, enjoy your summer and stay cool.**

**~RiddleGirl7**


	18. A Glimpse

A Glimpse

An old man whistled as he sat down on a crate outside of a closed tailor's shop. Light from the setting sun shone on his profile, blinding him in his right eye, yet he did not stop. The tune was that of an old Kenyan lullaby that spoke of children tasked with bringing in cattle from the rains. His voice was low, yet sweet. The few people who were walking on the pathway gave the man a nod or smile. One young mother carrying fruit in a basket tried to give him money. He politely declined. When offered a piece of mango, he humbly thanked the mamma as she went on her way.

Dogs began to bark in a nearby alleyway. The last rays of the sun had taken off a little edge of the days heat. Once resting and heat exhausted, the dogs were eager to go out and feed on whatever they could find. Their howling almost drowned out the old man's whistling, until suddenly the howling stopped. The man paid no attention to the dogs and continued to whistle. From the shadows of the alleyway, a small figure crouched down near the entrance.

A young woman in her mid teens tried to peek around the corner to observe the street. The black head scarf she wore was loose around her chin. Pulling it to her nose, her fingers brushed lightly against the dark sunglasses she wore. Her bare feet scraped against the dry, rough ground as she moved closer to the edge of the alley. The long red skirt she wore hid her feet as she crouched. The matching red top revealed her mid-riff but had short sleeves to cover her shoulders. The design woven into the fabric zigzagged horizontally. The last shimmer of sunlight glistened against her ebony skin as her hand reached for her head scarf one last time.

The man was finishing his lullaby on a simple and high note. The offered mango was beginning to grow sticky in his hand. He moved his head to look down at the fresh fruit.

The girl moved. Quick as lightning, she ran from the alleyway towards the man. He did not seem to notice the girl as he raised the fruit to his cracked lips. The fruit was ripped from his open hand.

The woman could hear the man shout "HEY!" as she rounded the street corner. She continued to run and run until her breath was almost gone. By then, there were many blocks between her and the man. She slowed down to a walk as she munched on the sticky mango. Her empty stomach begged for more. Licking her fingers clean, she rounded a corner not far from the edge of the city of Kitui. The woman pulled her headscarf closer to her as a very subtle wind blew from the East.

_Where am I going to sleep tonight?_

The girl scanned the area for some corner or alley to sleep in. The square she walked into was empty. She crossed until she was beside a fruit stand. Unfortunately for her, all the discarded fruit was too rotten to eat. As she sat down, three rats scurried away. Repulsed, she tried to step over the pile in order to get to the alley in the background. She groaned; lowering herself to the ground proved difficult as her fatigued, skinny legs had become sore. Moving her legs so they were tucked carefully under her full skirt, she glanced to the pile. A banana peel shifted as a little gray mouse poked its nose out.

Looking up at the young woman, the mouse scurried over to the surprised woman, sitting a meter away from the teenager's hem. Cautiously, a hand stretched out towards the rodent. When the mouse sniffed her fingers and climbed across her palm, the girl slowly raised her hand. Balancing her hand on her knees, the woman spoke,

"Now what kind of mouse would want to be near a girl like me? Everyone else runs away. They always do. They take one look at my eyes, and they run like scared cattle. I bet you will too!"

The girl tore the sunglasses away from her face. Opening her eyes, she revealed onto the rodent what she had hidden. While her eyes were large and shiny, one iris was a deep reddish brown, and the other was hazel with red around the pupil.

"People think I'm cursed. A strange girl with two different eyes is never a good omen. No one can take me in. No one can even explain who I am!" The mouse did not move or run away. "I woke up in an alley two months ago covered in blood and alcohol with no memories. I had no idea how I got there, and no idea who I was. I do remember a name though...Kalisha. It would make sense...though I doubt I'm a sorceress. But you know...I am tired of being lonely...as far as I know, I have no family and no one to stay with. I've been kinda wandering around the area looking for clues. But of course, nothing has come up... you know, you're a pretty good listener, little mouse."

The mouse crawled up her arm, to her shoulder. Kalisha lowered her head cloth to reveal a red diamond nose ring, soft full lips, and a dark beauty mark just below her left lower lip. Her short, ringlet, dark brown hair sprung out from the tight cloth.

"Don't have a name eh? … Does Chipo sound like a good name? I heard an old mamma tell another mamma that's what her grandson was named."

The mouse nuzzled against Kalisha's cheek.

"Chipo it is then!"

The dark sky had finally fallen against the sky. A few brave stars glistened against what light pollution was coming from the main city. The streets were pretty quiet, all that could be heard were dogs barking, a baby crying, and music coming from a bar a few streets down. Chipo squeaked beside her.

"It's okay little guy, we're save here. The stink from that pile of rotten food will keep those drunk bastards away. And you can get close to me, I don't mind. I am never cold at night. Besides, I'll kick the next rat who tries to give you trouble."

The mouse ran down her arm and into her waiting lap. Nuzzling close to her knee, Chipo fell asleep.

Laying her head back against the wall, Kalisha looked upwards to the dark sky.

_At least now I have someone to talk to. I hope I meet more people soon. It get's pretty lonely on the street, you know_

Kalisha fell asleep not long after. She slept peacefully for the first time in weeks, knowing she had someone beside her.

What Kalisha didn't know, however, was that someone was watching her. Across the square, in a dark backstreet, the shadow of a man watched the sleeping young girl. He was stopped when a hand grasped his shoulders. Nodding to his companion, he stood. Before they departed, his partner flashed an icy grin across the square, towards the sleeping, and unsuspecting girl.

* * *

***DODGES ALL THE PITCHFORKS AND ANGRY, BITTER READERS***

**I KNOW I KNOW, It's been more than a year. I got a new computer, lost the story and what progress I had made on the new chapter. Then life happened. Yay life.**

**But LOOK! A PREVIEW!**

**I had a snow day today and after getting a lovely review, I felt inspired. So after having a read through and doing so research, I produced this. **

**I told you guys you'd be getting a glimpse of the new sister. Meet Kalisha (means sorceress in African via 20000 Names). I gave you guys quite a bit of back story at the moment, but I hope to explore more as time goes on (assuming I don't leave you for another year again). **

**And hopefully next time around you'll get to see your favorite writer, major domo and all the rest of the gang! Might have to look at some old episodes to see how to write Owen again (it's been a LONG ASS TIME since I've watched the show. Thank God for Youtube). **

**So tell me loyal readers, what do you think so far? How is presented Kalisha is a little different from what I originally planned. And you guys have only really seen one aspect of her. I want to experiment with a more complex character this time around. **

**Press the button in the center and tell Miss Riddle what you think. Ciao for now!**

**Chippo: gift in African**


End file.
